Broken
by Meushell
Summary: A “Tok'ra” symbiote wants to save its “host.”
1. Hope

Title: Broken  
Author: Meushell  
Disclaimer: Stargate owns what they own, (::grumbles:: even if they are trigger happy with the Tok'ra) and I own what I own.  
Summary: A "Tok'ra" symbiote wants to save its "host."  
Rating: PG-13  
Parings: Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Malek/Aldwin, Anise/Other, Anise/Daniel (friendship)  
Sequel to: New Life and Exploration: Earth, Well, Some Parts of America Anyway (wow I gave that story a long title). I'll write it so it's understandable to those who haven't read those, but those who have read Exploration: Earth, Well, Some Parts of America Anyway will understand what's going on faster.

Part 1, ...Hope

There was a strange feeling that a symbiote immediately picked up on as unnatural. He was born, grew up in a lake, and blended with his first host. Oh, he remembered her well. Every detail, as symbiotes had very good memory. He got his name from an old name from her land that meant "warrior," as that was what he was. He didn't know what else he would be in the future, but he knew he'd be a fighter.

This first host was older than him, and so taught him a great deal. In return he held on to the precious memories after her death. He mourned her greatly, but he still prided in his second host. He remembered it all. Each host. He loved them all. He prided in taking care of each of them. It was the Tok'ra way, but more importantly, it was his way.

That's why the Goa'uld disgusted him so much. They did everything wrong. They hurt their hosts. They hurt the very people who gave them another way of life. They hurt the very people they should be grateful for, the people they should endlessly love. On occasion he was asked if he'd ever take an unwilling host if he had to, but the idea just sickened him.

He loved his current host now, but then one day that host just disappeared. The symbiote didn't know how or why, but his host was gone. It was lonely. Where was he? What was being done to the host? It terrified him. He called out for him, hoping, somehow hoping for a response. He would have to be calm. He would have to get him back.

Where was his host? Was he being tortured? Was he in pain? Was he being kept somewhere horrible? Was he starving? Was he shivering in a cold damp cell? Was he thirsty and trying to survive in a hot horrible cell? Many thoughts ran through the symbiote's head, but the biggest worry kept coming back.

Had he been taken by a Goa'uld? That idea scared him the most. The idea that another symbiote had forced its way into his host, that his host's memories were being violated, and that his host was being forced to do horrible things to people they both cared about.

How had this happened? The symbiote didn't even know. How? How could he not know?! His only hope was that his host would escape from wherever he was. Perhaps he or the Tok'ra could rescue him.

There was something else though. A memory. A memory of being in a tank. A faint background of a memory that was always there. It made no sense. He was hardly ever in a tank...though now wasn't the best example.

He didn't know how long he had been in the tank. It felt like he just woke up in it, but he also felt like he had been there all his life. It didn't make sense. He didn't know what was going on, but he had to. For one, he wasn't alone.

Two other symbiotes were there. They had just woken up and were squealing questions.

"Where am I?"

"Host?"

"Where is my host?"

"Who are you?"

They looked identical too. The symbiote thought they might be other Tok'ra. He tried to identify them by sight. First he tried to find some difference between them, but they truly were identical. The symbiote was about to ask them why they looked so much alike when the first one spoke. "You two same."

It didn't take long for them to realize they all looked the same, and they circled each other, trying to figure out why. They squealed of their past and memories of how they got here. They didn't just look the same. They had the same memories. Not just in how they got there, but everything. They had the same childhood, the same hosts, the same loves. Not only that, but they seemed to be a lot younger than they remembered. Old memories. Young bodies. They squealed for hours, trying to figure out what is going on.

They became silent when someone walked into the room. A person wearing clothes one would wear on Earth. That made sense. They remembered being on Earth. They were probably still there. The person wasn't a Goa'uld though. He was just a human. That made less sense.

The human was talking on the phone. "I don't think they have woken up yet." He seemed familiar, but after some soft squeaks, the symbiotes confirmed that none of them knew why. "Soon. Soon... Right..." He scratched his ear and pulled out paperwork. "No one is going to find out about this... They aren't going to get angry and take over you. They are Tok'ra." He glanced over at the symbiotes.

The symbiote and his two tank buddies remained motionless and just floated in the water, as if they were still asleep.

The human looked back to his papers and wrote something down. "We'll start tomorrow... No one is going to know... Don't worry. They're just clones." He put his pen down. "Tomorrow then... Bye." He set the phone on the desk and walked away.

"Copies?" One squeaked.

The symbiote realized the truth. These weren't just other Tok'ra symbiotes. They were all clones. "We are copies." ...from the same symbiote. He was scared again. In all likelihood, the Tok'ra didn't even know any of them existed. They had no hope of rescue, and without a host, no hope in escape either.

To be continued...

(Just a little note on the memories. More of a disclaimer. The idea of how the symbiote remembers its life and "life" is from the episode "Similitude" from Star Trek: Enterprise.)


	2. Lives

(Es Charmed, glad you like the beginning of the story.  
Natslou, that will be revealed in time. ::grins::  
Vinnet, I'm glad you liked the first paragraphs. Imo, the series didn't show the relationship between host and symbiote well enough. I believe they started to, when the Tok'ra were first introduced. That changed as the series went on.)

Part 2, ...Lives

It didn't take long for them to find names, Copy, Duplicate, and Replica. Copy had been the first one to wake up. He didn't know what the human planned on doing to them, but he decided to find the good in this. He was a clone, which meant he hadn't been ripped from his host. His host was somewhere with the Tok'ra where he should be. His host wasn't somewhere hurting and alone.

His host wasn't really his host. He realized that, but he couldn't help think otherwise. A symbiote can't just deny the memories. Technically, he didn't have a host, but that didn't matter because mentally he did. That host was somewhere happy. That's all that mattered.

It gave him the strength to survive what the human did to him. First he was soon no longer identical to the others. He was taken out of the tank by a new human, probably the one who had been on the other end of the phone. He was written on with some type of marker, then dropped back in the tank.

Copy circled around trying to see what was written on him. It was a number. He didn't know enough English numbers to know which one. After that though, he noticed the humans referred to him as Clone Five. Duplicate and Replica were Clones Four and Six. They all wondered where Clones One, Two, and Three were.

Copy was taken out every day, and the human always did something that was painful. He kept quiet and tried to keep his squeals to himself. He fought back instead. He started biting whenever he had the chance. It didn't help him, but it made him feel better.

One day Duplicate was taken out. The human was doing some experiment with him off to the side. Suddenly Duplicate squealed out in agony. The human cursed and picked up Duplicate. Copy and Replica were by the tank. They were trying to see what was going on with their friend. They called out to him, but he wasn't responding. Duplicate was limp in the human's hands.

The second human rushed in. "What's wrong, David?"

"This one died." David put Duplicate in a white box that opened from the side. "I'll dissect him later today."

"Are we going to make more?" The assistant, who's name was Thomas, looked a little worried about the answer.

"No..."

Thomas looked relieved.

"...Not yet." David turned to wash his hands, not noticing his assistant looked ill. "We still have the other two for now."

Copy looked at what he realized was called a refrigerator and wished Duplicate was taken out and given a better burial.

"We are dead," Replica said.

Copy was still looking at the refrigerator. It could have easily been him, and now, given what he just learned, he wished it had been. He heard the humans leave the room, and he turned to his fellow clone. He wanted to say something reassuring. "Our host is safe."

Replica gave somewhat of a nod. "That is all that matters."

It became the words they said to each other in the worse moments. "Our host is safe." "That is all that matters."

It was said each night before they fell asleep. "Our host is safe." "That is all that matters."

It was said after each torture. "Our host is safe." "That is all that matters."

It was harder to wake up each day. Copy healed himself as best he could, and he knew Replica was doing the same. One day though, Replica wasn't waking up. He was floating at the top of the tank. Copy nudged him. "Replica?"

Replica was gone, and now Copy envied him too. David discovered the death soon enough, and Replica was soon dissected. Like Duplicate, he was thrown away when David was done with him. Copy continued to endure the experiments alone.

One day Copy woke up achy and dizzy. He swam around, going in spirals when he was trying to go in a straight line. He rested and floated in the water. He was weak, and he was just waiting for death. As ill luck would have it, Thomas had convinced David not to experiment that day. The day passed slowly, but night eventually came. Copy was still in too much pain to sleep. He just kept healing himself while he floated.

David and Thomas came in. Thomas was talking about the ethics of all this again.

"They are just clones, Thomas," David excused. "They don't feel pain."

"Then why do they squeal when you test them?"

"Instinct."

Thomas shook his head. "But-"

"They aren't even human," David said firmly.

"The others are. You can't just-"

Copy turned towards them. Human clones?

David shook his head. "I don't pay you to question me! I pay you to follow my orders! Those clones are mine. I made them. I do what I want with them."

"But they'll die."

"Then we'll make more." David sighed lightly. "These ones are weaker than they should be. I'm going to use what I learn to make stronger ones, and those ones can be used to heal the sick. This is a good thing, Thomas."

Thomas was quiet.

David walked away, but he kept talking. "Tomorrow start the process. Hopefully this batch will survive longer than a few days. Making clones takes too long to get where I want."

Thomas started heading out, but he stopped and looked towards David. "What if the Tok'ra find out? Even if you can explain them-" He pointed to Copy. "How are you going to explain stealing DNA to experiment on a cloned host."

Copy moved closer. They cloned his host?!

"They'll never know."

to be continued...


	3. Promise

(Vinnet, thank you for the review. Here's the next part, and it's within a week. ::grins::  
Es Charmed, thanks. It's always nice to see a prediction.  
Kirallie, thanks for the review. I'll answer your questions in a PM.)

Part 3, ...Promise

Copy waited quietly for David to come. He knew the routine. David would write in some papers. Then he would set up his next project. He'd go over to get Copy, and that's when things would change from routine. Copy had decided that today, he was going to become a horrible horrible Tok'ra.

All night he had worked extra to heal himself, and now he was waiting. He let himself float in the water as though he was weak. He watched the door open and saw David come in. He waited while David took his time with the papers. He didn't mind that it took longer. He wasn't looking forward to the next part.

He felt a strange sensation, and he wasn't sure if it was guilt or from the experiments. Whatever it was, it was new. His body felt hot and overheated, as though he had been put into boiling water. His skin felt cold though, almost icy.

He felt as though his insides were moving around as David approached. He gave a soft squeal of protest and backed away into the corner.

"Don't go down there," David said as he leaned closer.

Words from everyone he loved sprang into his head. Words of protest. Words of hate. They echoed through, getting louder and louder until he felt as though it would split him. He felt doubt and hate in himself.

David's fingertips were beginning to grasp, and images of his host's clone being held down and experimented on became clear his in mind. He heard him scream. "No!" He squealed and launched himself through the water. He quickly flew through the air, and soon there was flesh. Each bite made him feel colder. He could taste blood. It absorbed through his skin.

He felt David moving around franticly, but Copy was soon where he needed to be. He wrapped around the human's spine and attached himself where needed.

He felt human again.

The real human was screaming. _You can't do this! Tok'ra don't do this! Release me!_

_Not until they are safe. _David's memories came to him easily. He knew Thomas was in the next room. He knew exactly what was going on with the clone humans.

Physically, control was easy. He had never known this before because he had never had a host fight him before. He hardly had to fight back. Control was automatic, even with a fighting host. Mentally though, it was tearing at him, even without the words of his host, it was tearing his soul to bits.

_You'll be killed for this_, David thought, picking up on Tok'ra law from Copy's memories. This was the highest law that Copy had broken, and punishment was death.

Copy chose not to respond. It would be silly to respond to a host he was controlling. He knew it wouldn't help either of them. He made his way into the next room, "Thomas." He disguised his voice.

Thomas looked up. "Yes?"

"We'll go see the other clones now."

"What became of Clone Five?"

"He was dead when I found him. We'll make more clones tomorrow. Today I want to concentrate on the other clones."

Thomas nodded and started heading to the direction of the other clones, the humans clones. Copy followed, knowing a new secret. These clones weren't quite what he expected. They weren't entirely human.

He found them all in stasis, four of them, seeming to be sleeping peacefully in the water they grew in. Based on what he learned from David's mind, they were only three months old, but they all appeared to be ten year old boys. Copy hadn't expected that. He knew David had found a way to age them faster. David had done the same with him. Still, he had expected them to be younger.

Copy moved closer and looked at the face of one of them. _He looks like him. _He touched the glass. "How much longer can they survive in the state they are?"

"Only a couple more days at most."

"Are they stable now?"

"Every test we run shows them to be stable, but we won't know until we wake them up." Thomas moved closer. "I set it up so that they'll stop aging at their current pace when they are removed from the water. They'll age like a normal human, but..." He paused, looking guilty. "As you know, that has been part of what is killing them when we get to this stage."

Copy nodded, listening to what Thomas was saying.

The assistant continued, "My biggest worry is the symbiote DNA. A human/symbiote hybrid is very unstable."

"It's been done before." Copy didn't know how or why, but something in David's memories told him this. "If someone else can do it, I certainly can."

"Of course," Thomas replied.

"Wake them up slowly. Let them get used to the new environment they will be living in." He looked over and saw Thomas frowning. "What?" he snapped in David's tone.

"I just...I thought you wanted them to be woken up quickly, to make sure they were strong."

"I changed my mind, is that a problem?"

"No..." He paused and looked towards the room Copy came from. "What did Clone Five die from?"

"I don't know. I told you, it happened over night."

"Are you going to dissect him like the others?"

Copy frowned. Thomas was figuring it out. "Do as I say. That's what you are paid for."

Thomas nodded. "I'll start the procedure."

"Wake them up one at a time."

Thomas nodded. "Okay." He nervously went over to the first tank. "I'll start with Clone 1."

Copy watched very carefully as Thomas did as he was told. The process of waking up the first clone took over two hours. When he was almost finished, Thomas brought in a mobile bed. He set the clone on it and started checking on him. The clone wasn't awake yet. The actual waking was the last part.

Thomas looked over to Copy. "You're him, aren't you?"

Copy looked to him.

"You're the clone."

"Yes."

"I thought the Tok'ra-"

"I obviously broke that law. It doesn't matter to you though. You will do what I say, either way."

"Why should I?"

Copy gave his best impression of a Goa'uld grin. "Because you aren't working for money anymore. You are working for your life." He felt his insides flipflop with the words.

Thomas seemed calm for someone who's life was just threatened. He looked to the mostly human clone. "He's dying."

"Save him."

"I can't." He looked a bit panicked. "I-I don't know why he's dying. I'd have to do further tests, and he'll be dead by the time I figure it out."

"Wake him."

"He'll die."

"He's going to live the time he has left."

Thomas administered a drug to wake up the boy. He stepped back as Copy approached with a sheet. He covered the young boy before taking the boy's hand. Copy waited. The boy woke up several minutes later. He blinked his eyes, looking very sleepy, and Copy hoped he wasn't in pain. He had no idea what he'd be like. Most likely like a newborn. Was it fair to wake him up if he was just going to die?

The boy just laid there, looking at Copy.

Copy still had his hand. "Hello."

The boy closed his eyes.

"You can't understand me, but I'm here anyway, and I'm talking. I don't know what to say, but..."

The boy opened his eyes and smiled.

Copy grinned. "You can smile. I didn't know you'd be able to smile. It's a nice smile."

The boy's glaze seemed to turn weaker and continued to do so. Copy spoke until the glaze was nothing. He checked for a pulse afterwards. Nothing was found. He moved some hair from the boy's face. He felt as if he just watched his host die. "I'll make sure you get to your better place."

"Should I wake up the next one," Thomas asked.

Copy didn't respond for several minutes. Then he wrapped the boy's body in a sheet. "We're burning him."

"What?!" Thomas looked alarmed.

"Start the process on the next one. I'll be back." Copy picked up the body and took him elsewhere. He gave the boy a full proper funeral before returning.

"I stopped waking the next one," Thomas said, looking scared.

"Why?"

"After getting him out of the water, I noticed problems I didn't see before. He's not going to survive long enough to even wake up, unless I wake him up now." Thomas showed him a few things. "I think he'll just be in pain though."

Copy looked over at what Thomas discovered. "Start the next one then." He felt guilty. They were dying because of him. They would die another way though, and he wanted to give them a chance at living. He stayed with the second boy until the breathing stopped. It didn't take long. Afterwards, he took him away for another funeral.

When Copy returned, he felt exhausted. David had stopped protesting for now, but that didn't help as much as Copy thought it would. He felt guilty for breaking the man.

"I can wake him in about twenty minutes," Thomas informed.

Copy waited, and twenty-four minutes later the boy's eyes opened.

"Hello." Again, Copy had no idea what to say. "My name is...Copy." The boy was staring at him. "Can you smile?" Copy smiled, and he felt joy when the boy smiled too. "

Thomas was checking the boy's vitals, trying find if there was anything wrong. "He appears to be healthy."

Copy nodded and told him to start the next clone. He looked to the boy "Well, my name is Copy. This is Thomas. I don't know what to call you yet... We're going to try to wake someone else up. He looks like you...though I doubt you know what you look like...or that you understand anything I"m saying." Copy felt bad.

The boy seemed to be surviving. When it was time to the forth one to wake, the third was moved to another room in case the forth one didn't wake up or woke up in pain.

Again, Copy waited for eyes to open before he started talking. Again, all the boy did was smile. After it was established that they both appeared to be healthy, Copy put them together in the same room. The boys just seemed to stare at each other at first.

"Thomas?"

Thomas came in from the next room.

"They need better clothes."

"I'll find something." Thomas left to do so. He considered trying to escape from time to time, but he was really to afraid to do so. He didn't know what the Tok'ra clone was capable of doing. David had records of where his lived, which is where his family was. He knew Copy would be able to find those records easily, and he also had access to all of David's money.

Copy watched the clones as he waited. "Maybe one of you can try sitting up." He went to the first one who had woken up. "Can you sit up?" He moved the boy in an upright position and tried to keep him there. The boy kept falling back whenever Clone let go. "This isn't working." Devices had been in the water with the boys, to exercise the bones and muscles so that walking was a possibility when they woke up. "Just try to balance yourself. You want to be upright someday, like me?"

"Me," Copy heard.

He looked to where the other boy was. "You can talk?" He felt himself smile when he saw the boy was sitting up. "You can sit up!" He put the first boy back down and went to the second. "Hello."

"He-llo."

Clone hugged him. "Hug."

"Hug," the boy said, but didn't hug.

Clone pulled away. "Maybe you can help your friend."

"Friend."

"Yes."

"My friend."

"Yes!" he said excited that those words hadn't been a copy of what he had just said.

The boy started crying, and Copy couldn't figure out why. "Are you hurting?" He felt worried that something was wrong.

"Angry."

"Who's angry?"

"You."

Copy shook his head. "I'm not angry."

"Glow."

Copy touched his eyes, realizing he had glowed David's eyes. "That doesn't mean I'm angry."

"Angry god will punish me."

"I'm not angry, and I'm not a god, and I'm not going to punish you."

"Not angry at me?"

"No," Copy assured.

Over the next couple weeks Copy and Thomas taught the two nameless boys the basics, walking, talking, eating, and such. The boys were frustrated often, feeling they should know these things already. Angry enough, and their eyes glowed. Neither noticed though, and they denied it when it was pointed out to them. How could "mere humans" have glowy eyes?

At the end of the two weeks, they began asking questions. "Are we brothers? How come I don't remember having a twin."

Copy sat them down and thought about how to explain this. "You've probably noticed a lot of strange things."

They nodded.

Copy hoped he could do this. This was going to be hard to explain to two kids who don't even where new children normally come from. "You know how it takes two people to make a baby? That baby came from both of them. Well, there is another way to make a baby through science. You do so by making a copy of someone."

"How?"

"Well, you take a copy of...except your a copy of two..." Copy shook his head. "Your parents are different. You were created from a human and a symbiote."

They frowned, having no idea what the term symbiote means.

"A symbiote is a creature that is shaped similar to that of a snake."

They looked at each other and one turn to Copy. "We don't look like snakes."

"Well, no... You know how some children look like one parent more than the other?"

"Yes."

"Well, you look like your human parent."

"Is that our mom or dad?"

"Well, the human is male."

"So the symbiote is our mom?" asks the first one who woke up.

"Um, well, no. The symbiote doesn't..." Copy knew he was going to confuse them more. "Is another dad." He decided that might be easier than explaining that one parent was an it.

"How?"

Copy wondered how to explain this.

Thomas walked in from the other room. "Magic." The door was open, so he was hearing it all.

Copy glared at him, making sure not to flare. "Thomas!"

"You really going to try to explain cloning to them? They just barely learned how to tie their shoes."

Copy sighed and looked to the boys. "With magic."

"Woooow."

"Have you two picked out names yet?"

"Shouldn't our parents name us?" asked the second boy.

"I'm sorry. I don't know how long it'll be before you can see them. I assure you, they won't mind if you pick out your own names." Copy went to Thomas as they thought about it. "Have you found the location I asked about?"

"Yes, but why are we going to a house? I thought you would be taking them to...wherever that gate thing is."

"Just make sure we have a way of getting there."

"Best way to get there would be to drive. It's a few days away, and we won't alarm anyone."

"Good. Remember, the faster you help me, the faster you save David." He mentally cringed to that, especially when David gave a sarcastic remark to the words.

"Of course. I'll get everything ready. We can leave this morning." David headed out.

_He doesn't care about me_, David thought. _Thomas just wants to save himself._

_Maybe if you had treated him better._

_Like you should talk about treating people well. I thought the Tok'ra were supposed to be good guys._

Copy frowned before turning back to the boys. The second human clone smiled and asked, "We are going somewhere?"

"Yes."

He hopped off the bed. "Are we going to meet our parents?"

"I hope so."

--

The next morning, Thomas proved his was trustworthy. His car was packed and ready to go. He had gotten each boy a set of clothing and had bought food for the car trip. Personally, he couldn't tell the kids apart. Not unless he examined them. It seemed that Copy could though. He opened the car door in the back. "Boy 1, you sit here." He saw what he assumed was the first boy taking his seat. Thomas went to the other side and open the opposite door. "Boy 2, you sit here." He saw the second boy climb into the car.

"They will have names soon," Copy said as he sat in the passenger side in the front.

"Until then, they are Boy 1 and Boy 2."

"I have a name," the second boy said.

Copy turned around. "Really? What is it?"

"I heard it on that box that Thomas was watching. Marshal."

The first boy scowled. "I wanted that name."

"I heard it first!"

"I said I wanted it!"

"Stop fighting," Copy said politely, though he was ignored, and the boys continued to keep yelling. "Don't yell... Be nice to each other... There is no need... Quiet!" His eyes flared, and the boys became timid and quiet.

"You could be Marshal 1 and Marshal 2," Thomas offered as he started the car.

"I don't want the same name as him," Boy 1 said quietly.

Copy turned forward and watched where Thomas was going. He memorized the directions they were going to go so he could make sure Thomas took him where he needed to go. He had made Thomas find a map for him so he could map it out himself. Now he was making sure the Thomas made the right turns where needed.

It was quiet for a bit, but then there was a small voice from the back of the car. "It's my name." It was the second boy.

After a long moment, the first boy spoke. "Is not."

Another moment passed. "Is too."

Copy frowned, knowing that a fight was on its way.

"I'm older," the first boy said.

"We're the same age."

"Then why am I Boy 1 and you are Boy 2?"

Copy turned around and looked at both of them. They went from annoyed to timid when they saw his expression. "Don't fight." He looked to the first boy. "You woke up first. That is why Thomas calls you Boy 1. You are both very special. Do you want me to tell your parents that you fought all your way over to seeing them?" He saw them shake their heads lightly as they looked at their laps. "Good. We are going to be in this car for a while, and I know it's not very fun, but we need to get along. If you two fight again, neither of you can be Marshal."

Despite his best efforts, the boys still fought. It was different things, but most often it was about the name they both wanted.

To be continued...

(Bonus points to those who predicted a scientist becoming a host.)


	4. Heart

(Kirallie, thanks for the review. The memories will be explained later. ::smiles:: Hmm, I think I answered your questions to Vinnet for the last part.  
Es Charmed, thank you. Glad you like the boys. ::grins:: )

Part 4, ...Heart

The second day in, and the boys still fought. Copy had long since forbidden either from having the name, but it didn't matter at this point. Now they fought about whose name it should have been, and they blamed each other for getting it forbidden.

Aside from the fighting, they were also asking how much longer it would take to get to the house.

"Tomorrow," Copy promised.

"When tomorrow?"

"Around this time tomorrow?"

"That's too long."

"I know."

Copy hated this. He hated himself for using David. He hated David for cloning the two boys in the first place, even though he loved the boys. He hated parenting them when he couldn't help but think of them as hosts. He hated that they got scared every time his eyes glowed. He hated their arguing, and it got worse when they paid more attention to each other during another argument.

"Your eyes glowed!" Boy 2 yelled.

"They did not!"

"They did too!"

Boy 1 screamed. "Your eyes glowed."

"No, your the one with the glowing eyes!"

They were stopped at a gas station. Everyone was outside. Thomas was filling up the car. Copy had the keys to make sure Thomas didn't drive away. He didn't even know what the boys had gotten into a fight about this time, and he was further annoyed that they were attracting attention. He walked over to the boys. They were inside the market part, and the boys were supposed to pick out food to eat. "Did you pick out food?"

"We don't know what this stuff is," Boy 2 said.

"Just pick something."

A few people were keeping away from Copy. Some were looking at the boys with concern. One woman approached. "Hello." She thought something about the way the four were acting seemed...off.

Copy looked to the woman. "Hello."

"Your sons?"

"He's not our dad," Boy 1 said.

Copy winced within, but didn't show his annoyance. "I've been watching them. I'm taking them to their parents tomorrow." He wondered if the woman could help. "Could you help us out? We aren't from around here, and the truth is, we don't know what a lot of this stuff is. Thomas knows." He pointed out the door to where Thomas was. "He's putting gas in the car right now though."

"Are you looking for something that is more of a meal or a snack?"

"Both. We have a long car trip ahead of us."

"Oh..." The woman turned to the boys. "What are your names?" Her voice heightened a bit as she spoke to them in a sweet manner.

"We don't have any names," Boy 1 said.

Copy forced a convincing laugh and moved closer. "Of course they have names." He faked a grin. "They decided they don't like their names. You know how kids are."

The woman smiled. "Yes, my oldest is at the stage where he says he doesn't have parents."

Copy continued to smile, but he could read humans too well. The woman wasn't convinced, and he was pretty sure she'd be calling the police as soon as they left. He'd have to get the the house before the police got involved.

Thankfully everyone else but the cashier had left, and the cashier wasn't paying any attention to what was going on. She picked out food for the children and watched as they all hurried to the car. She pulled out her phone.

"We need to hurry," Copy said as soon as he got into the car. He gave the keys to Thomas. "I think that woman thinks we kidnapped them."

"Well, you kidnapped me." Thomas pulled out. "Did she get the license?"

"The what?"

"The license plate number on this car."

"I don't know."

"That lady was nice," Boy 1 said as he ate a chocolate bar.

"A very nice lady," Copy agreed. He looked back to Thomas. "If she did?"

"Could make for a shortened trip."

"Then hurry."

Thomas sped up the car.

--

Several arguments, worries, and hours later, they were driving on a long lonely road. The food was long gone, and the boys were sleeping. Copy was driving now, using David's memories for it.

There was a stirring in the back. "Copy?"

"Yes?"

"I feel funny."

Copy glanced back. It was Boy 1. "How do you feel funny?"

"My chest feels funny." Boy 1 frowned. "It hurts."

Copy hit Thomas, not enough to hurt, but enough to wake him up. Thomas jumped. "What?!" He looked around and saw Copy pulling over. "What are you doing?"

"One of the boys doesn't feel well. Go examine him."

Boy 2 woke up as Thomas got out of the car. "What's going on?"

Thomas picked Boy 1 out of the car and sat him on the front section of the car "Tell me how you feel." He saw Copy and Boy 2 getting out.

"My chest hurts," Boy 1 whined.

"How long did you feel this way?"

"I don't know. I was asleep."

"We near any hospitals?" Copy asked.

"No. That would be a bad idea anyway." Thomas started examining the boy. "What are we going to tell them? This cloned boy who isn't entirely human doesn't feel good?"

"I am human!" Boy 1 yelled. "Ow! Stop that!"

Thomas jumped to that and to the glare Copy gave him afterwards. "I didn't do anything. I was just trying to take his pulse." There was panic in his voice.

"Get him a blanket." Copy picked Boy 1 up and laid him down after Thomas put a blanket on the ground. He examined the boy himself.

Boy 2 moved near and took Boy 1's hand. "Make him better!"

Copy frowned as he realized he couldn't fix this. "We have to get him to the Tok'ra."

Thomas looked scared. "They can't know what I did!"

Copy picked the boy up and put him back in the car. "We're going to get you help."

"It huuuuuuuuuurts!" Boy 1 cried.

Copy wiped away Boy 1's tears. "I know, but you have to be brave."

Boy 2 climbed back into the car from the other side and took his hand again. "I'm sorry we fought earlier." He watched as the two adults went back into the car. He looked back to his twin. "You can be Marshal."

The first boy sniffed. "Really?"

"Yes." He gave Marshal a hug. "I'll find another name for me."

Copy had taken the driver's seat again, and he barely waited for Thomas to get in before speeding off. Thomas looked panicked for the next hour, both with Copy's driving and with the idea that the Tok'ra were going to know what he did.

To be continued...


	5. House

(Thank you, Kiralle and Vinnet for the reviews. Thank you everyone for reading. Sorry this update took so long.)

Part 5, ...House

For a long time, Copy could hear Marshal crying, and he felt as though a void filled him when the crying stopped. "Marshal?"

"I think he fell asleep," the second boy said.

Copy gestured to Thomas. "Check on Marshal."

Thomas groaned a bit as he twisted out of his seat and checked on Marshal. It was bad enough that the lady might have called the cops on him, but now Copy was speeding and demanding Thomas get out of his seat. He gingerly felt for a pulse, not wanting to wake the boy up. When he couldn't find it, he was less gentle. He spoke after a moment. "Uh...I don't think he's sleeping."

Copy swerved and slammed on the breaks which sent Thomas backwards. The back of his head hit the windshield, and he felt his arm hit something else. Copy was out of the car and was soon pulling Marshal out. The second boy was screaming and crying, as he knew what Thomas had probably meant by his words.

Not a heartbeat or breath could be found. The body was still warm, and there were still streaks of tears down Marshal's face. Filled with guilt, Copy covered the boy in the blanket he died in. Then he went over and picked up the second boy, who was still wailing. Terrified and still in shock, the boy clutched at the man who was the only father he knew.

Copy comforted the boy for several minutes. After that he looked to Thomas. "We have to keep going. Pick up Marshal and put him-"

"Are you kidding me?!" Thomas shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry the kid died, and I know you must be pissed at me right now, but the cops might be after us...and you want us to keeping traveling with a dead kid?!"

The boy cried out again when he heard the last two words. Copy ruffled the boy's hair and picked him up as he stood. "Thomas, we aren't leaving him here."

"If we are pulled over and-"

"I don't care!" Copy yelled. He felt the boy clutch more to him. "Don't you get it? I'm not doing anything for you, or David, or even myself! My point of living is for these boys! We are _not_ leaving him!"

Thomas didn't move at first, both angry and terrified. "Fine. Where do you want him?"

"In the backseat."

"You gotta be-" Thomas shook his head and started muttering as he picked Marshal up.

Copy sat down in the front passenger side with the second boy. "You're going to ride up here." He felt the boy nod his head. Still clutching to Copy, his face was buried in his shoulder.

Thomas stopped muttering as he got into the driver's seat. He quietly started the car and drove off. His head was still throbbing, as was his arm, but he didn't dare complain about it now.

--

It took a while before the boy fell asleep, but when he did, he slept a long time. By the time he woke up, the car was in the neighborhood of the house Copy wanted to go. He sniffled and wiped his nose. "Are we almost there?"

"Yes," Copy said.

"How are we getting into this house when we get there?" Thomas asked.

"We are breaking in."

Thomas frowned. "Of course. Why shouldn't I commit crime?"

"You should have thought about that before you took this job."

"It paid a lot of money," Thomas said as he made a turn. He was mostly using one arm because the other one was throbbing "I didn't know I'd be dealing with evil symbiotes."

Copy's eyes flared. "Duplicate and Replica were innocent."

Thomas was quiet for a moment, then he smirked before making a light chuckle. "That's what you named yourselves? Copy, Duplicate, and Replica?"

"We figured out we were clones, and we named ourselves appropriately."

Thomas shook his head and made another turn. "Well, we're on the right street now."

Copy looked at the familiar street. He had never been here, but he had the memories. He quickly found the house he was looking for. "There it is."

"It's in the middle of the day, and you think people won't notice us breaking in?"

"They won't." Copy got out and set the boy down, who quickly stretched out his arms and legs. "The house will be more comfortable than the car." He noticed that no one was home.

Copy moved over to Thomas, speaking quietly as the man got out. "We'll just walk up like we belong." He did just that, and the boy ran up to catch up with him. "Our my parents here?"

"They are not."

Thomas followed as well, trying to do as Copy said. He followed Copy into the backyard, who knew the numbers to the combination lock on the gate. Copy was glad to see that no one could see them from the backyard. He found the right window and told the boy to move away. He used his hand to break through the window.

_Ow! _David thought.

"I hope there isn't a security alarm," Thomas said.

"Your hand!" the boy exclaimed.

"My hand will be fine," Copy said as he opened the window. He picked the boy up. "Climb through, and don't hurt yourself."

"What if they have a dog?" Thomas asked.

"They don't have a dog or a security system." Copy smiled as the boy finished climbing, then gave instruction on how to get to the back door and open it.

"What if I can't?"

"If you can't, just come back to this window. Don't worry about it."

Several minutes later, the back door opened, and Copy and Thomas got in. Copy was still picking out glass as he tried to heal David's hand. "We'll drive the car into the garage and get Marshal."

"Who's house is this anyway?"

"Samantha Carter's."

Thomas stopped. "You broke us into the house of an Air Force Officer?"

"Yes."

"We can't just break into her house!"

"We can, and we did."

"Why?!"

"Because she'll make sure the boy gets to the Tok'ra." Copy knelt down by the boy. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"Let's see if she has what you like here." Copy started looking for food.

"Why don't we just bug the Air Force?" Thomas asked. "I'm sure if we tell them that a man with glowing eyes is in the house of one of their officers, they'll show up."

"Yes, and then they wouldn't let Samantha into her house, would they? I need to talk to her. I need to make sure she knows who the boy is."

"But-"

"Bring Marshal in."

Thomas frowned. "Fine."

--

Because she wasn't home much, the neighbors tended to ignore her house. Sam didn't have any reason to think someone was already in her house. She hadn't checked the garaged, and the gate had been relocked. She unlocked the front door and went in. The first room was basically untouched because Copy had made sure that no one moved anything in that room. The mail was gathered where it would normally be, under the mail slot.

She knew something was wrong as soon as she entered the second room. Things were moved, and she very soon felt the presence of a symbiote.

Copy stepped behind her. "Samantha." Seeing her made him ache. He wanted to hold her, but she wasn't his to hold. "I'm not here to harm you." Images of being close to her danced in his head. They were wrecked with the expression of fear she held now.

"What do you want?" She took a step back.

She wasn't just afraid, but she held an expression of hatred. Copy felt he deserved it, and he believed she would soon hate him even more. Everyone would hate him. They would all know what he did. "I..." Tears threatened. "...I came for your help."

"I'm not helping you."

"Please...there is a boy. He's young...innocent, and he's sick. He needs the Tok'ra. They must have a way to help him."

Sam frowned. The thing before her didn't sound like any Goa'uld she had ever met before. "What boy?"

"He doesn't have a name yet. He hasn't picked out a name." Copy paused. "You'll feel the same presence from him, as you do with me, but he's not a Goa'uld. He's a clone. You have to help him." As he saw her frowning, he called for the boy to come.

The boy did, and he approached Sam with friendliness. "Hello." He waved.

Sam looked at the boy. "Hello." She turned back to Copy. "What do you mean exactly? What is he?"

"He's a hybrid."

"What's a hybrid?" the boy asked.

Sam was still frowning. "He's part human and part Goa'uld?"

Something about that offended the boy very much. "I'm not a Goa'uld!" He didn't know why it made him so angry. It just did.

Copy frowned, feeling very ashamed. "He is part human. The symbiote part...is from a Tok'ra." As Sam looked to the boy again, he continued. "He was created here, on Earth, but..." He frowned. "Boy, close your eyes, cover your ears, and hum loudly." The boy obediently did as he was told. "He was grown too quickly, and he's... I don't know how stable he is. The Tok'ra will help him. They have to. He's a clone of their own."

Sam look back to Copy. "Who cloned him, and where did they get the DNA?"

"On the surface," Copy answered, not answering the who yet. He watched as Sam froze and put the pieces together. Only four Tok'ra had been up on the surface, and the boy's appearance made it very clear which of the four he had come from.

Sam looked to the boy. "Martouf."

"He's his clone."

"...and Lantash."

"Yes, he's part him too."

"They were attacked. We thought it was just a robbery."

"It was a scheme to get their DNA." Copy looked to boy. "They made different hybrids. He was the only one I could save. The others..." Copy felt shamed. "I failed them. I couldn't save them." He stepped closer. "I tried."

Sam looked to Copy. "Why would..." She frowned. "You're a clone."

"It's not Lantash's fault...what I've done. Don't blame him for my actions. He'd hate me for it. I know he would." All strength in his knees threatened to disappear, but Copy fought to stay strong. "I know the law I broke. I know my punishment. I accept it. Just save him." He gestured to the boy.

to be continued...


	6. Truths

(Sorry this part took so long. My computer decided that it no longer had an operating system. It was an old computer. I have a new computer now, but my stupid backup system decided not to back up most of my files. What I had written of the original part 6 was lost with many other things. :(

Thank you, Kirallie, Blueflamebluerose, and Baby Bop for your reviews.)

Part 6, ...Truths

No one had been taken to Cheyenne Mountain so quickly. The boy insisted on staying with Copy, and Sam was determined to stay near the boy. Copy was handcuffed on the trip over, and he told the boy he didn't mind it. He was thankful when they were off, though he didn't like the trade for a cell.

"You think he's telling the truth?" Jack had caught Sam as soon as she left the holding cell.

"The Tok'ra are the only ones who will be able to know for sure." Sam glanced back, unable to see in the room, but imaging Copy and the boy in there.

"I don't like having the boy in there with him."

"If he's telling the truth, the boy is safe."

"And if he's not?"

"That's why we need to contact the Tok'ra now."

"We'll sent them a message."

"With respect, sir, I think someone to go to them. They're going to want to send specific people for this, and this isn't something to tell them through transmission." Sam paused, noticing Jack was now deciding who to send. "I volunteer, sir."

"I need Daniel here right now," Jack replied.

"Teal'c and I can go." She gave him a moment to consider it before prompting a decision. "Sir?"

Jack nodded. "Take Teal'c and go as soon as you are ready."

"Thank you." Sam left to find Teal'c. It took very little time for them to get ready, and soon they were in the gateroom.

The base for the Tok'ra this time was a planet with little water on the surface. The placement for the stargete itself was in the middle of a rocky terrain. It was easy to lose footing on a loose rock and twist an ankle. As Sam carefully made her way over the rocks, she realized how the agile the Tok'ra must be, considering they had to pick planets where, in emergencies, they could run to the stargate without breaking any ankles. The sun was unbearably hot, and Sam had been told that former inhabitants had lived in caverns in the ground.

As she and Teal'c made their way to the right of the stargate, they were approached by a man in the familiar beige clothes. Sam didn't know who he was, but since they were approached by just the one, she knew they were recognized. He held a stern expression, and when he spoke, it was clear that the symbiote was in control. "What is the purpose of your visit?"

"Is my dad here, or Lantash?" Sam didn't want to be telling her news to an unknown Tok'ra.

"Your father is away on mission. Lantash is in the tunnels. Your visit concerns them?"

Sam wasn't sure if he was annoyed that she asked about them or if he was just a serious Tok'ra. "It concerns Lantash and Martouf. We believe the attack on them on Earth may have been intentional."

Impossible as it seemed, the Tok'ra's expression grew more serious. "Come." He moved to a stop on the ground that must have been where the rings were. When he was joined by the two members of SG-1, the rings came up to bring them underground. The Tok'ra walked off without another word, in a pace that indicated he didn't plan on being followed.

Sam was glad to be walking on smooth land again. She pitied the Tok'ra who were on guard above. Without anyone to follow, she started heading towards the location of the briefing room. She was sure she could find it. The Tok'ra didn't have much variety in the way they grew their tunnels.

"Samantha," was Malek's voice before she arrived. He left whoever he was talking to and approached. "When did you arrive?" He looked both serious and friendly, as if he couldn't decide which expression was more appropriate.

"A few minutes ago."

"The council said nothing of your arrival," he frowned slightly, as if wondering why he hadn't been informed.

"It was a surprise visit. They're probably be informed right now."

It seemed the friendly side won. Malek gave in to it and gave her a hug. He kept is brief, barely giving Sam time to respond, before pulling back and looking serious again. "They don't like surprises."

"They can't be far..." trailed the voice of the Tok'ra who had greeted them. "Oh." He was relieved to have found Sam and Teal'c. "There you are."

"I figured we'd end up here anyway." Sam felt a little nervous when seeing he was being followed by both Garshaw and Per'sus. One made her nervous, but both, with her news? The guards that followed them somehow made it worse.

"Colonel Carter," Per'sus greeted in a polite and formal tone.

"Councilor Per'sus," Sam replied. " Councilor Garshaw." She hoped Lantash would show up soon, but she wasn't sure hearing what she had to say in front of them would be for the best. She also didn't know what would be worse. That Copy was telling the truth, or that Copy had lied and she believed it possible.

Either way, she was happy when Lantash came up behind them. He was clearly hurrying, walking in a brisk pace. He slowed when he got to the room. "Samantha," he said with a smile. He moved around the two councilors and hugged her.

"I'm due elsewhere," Malek excused to leave the room. He hadn't been invited to the meeting, and it wasn't his business unless someone else made it so. He was out before everyone had taken their seats. The Tok'ra who had greeted them followed after.

Lantash looked to Sam as he sat next to her. "Vorran says you have news of the attack on Earth?"

Sam nodded, figuring Vorran must be the name of the Tok'ra who had greeted her and Teal'c. "Uh, yeah."

"Please, tell us," Garshaw prompted as she folded her hands on the table.

There was a pause before Sam started. "Well, I came home last night and could sense a symbiote presence."

"A Goa'uld?" Garshaw's expression showed her concern.

"Well, that's sort of the thing. He says he's not... According to him, he's a clone... Lantash's clone."

She watched the two councilors looked over to Lantash, who was now frowning. "How?"

"You and Martouf had lost conscious during the attack," Garshaw reminded. "If your attackers knew where you were located in Martouf's body, it would not have been difficult to obtain your DNA."

Lantash moved his hand to the back of Martouf's neck, over himself.

"You spoke with him?" Per'sus asked.

Sam looked to him. "Yes."

"How?" As far as he knew, Sam didn't understand the squealed language of a symbiote.

"He had a host." She realized how that must have sounded. "The man who made him also made him age faster, well, according to him."

"Is this clone speaks the truth, then that man must be delivered to the Tok'ra."

"Does he have a name?" Lantash asked. "My...the clone."

Sam turned to him. "He calls himself Copy." She turned back to the two council members. "There is another issue. It seems Lantash wasn't the only one cloned." She looked back to Lantash.

Martouf was given control, and he seemed hesitant to speak. "Me?" He mind was telling him that that was impossible.

"I can't be sure, but... He looks like you, and according to Copy he's...mostly you."

"Mostly me?"

"He's a human/symbiote hybrid." The surprise reactions on all three Tok'ra was almost amusing. "He's also very sick. I don't know exactly how many clones were made. Out of the symbiotes, Copy was the only one to survive. There was four hybrid clones that he knows of. Two died as soon as they were woken up. One died on the way to my house." She felt bad for the expression Martouf held now.

Martouf was looking down, feeling the loss of people he never met. "What was done with those who died."

"He said the first two were given a traditional Kiron funeral." She noticed Martouf looked a bit relieved to hear that. "The last one, Marshal, he's in our morgue."

Martouf's eyes flashed as Lantash took over. "I do hope you plan on giving him to us."

"They will," Per'sus replied in a tone that showed his true meaning was more on the lines of "they better."

Sam nodded. "We will." There had been a couple calls from people who thought Marshal was best kept to be examined. Thankfully those higher up in the government put a stop to that idea once Hammond pointed out that doing so would be a sure way to end the treaty with the Tok'ra.

"Who is the man who in charge of the cloning process?" Garshaw asked.

"David Goldsmith."

"Do you know where he is?"

"He's in our brig."

"He will be dealt with soon. Who is Copy's host?"

"...David Goldsmith."

Garshaw frowned. "Why did he clone a Tok'ra to become a host?"

"Well...he didn't exactly plan on the becoming a host part."

--

"You're sure?"

Daniel gave a small sigh. "Yes, Jack. I'm sure. David and Thomas knowingly set up an assignment that resulted in the attack of a Tok'ra. They continued to make an attack by cloning the DNA they received. They have to be handed over to Tok'ra." He pointed to the part of the treaty that said just this. Jack had wanted him to find a way to keep David and Thomas so the US government could decide their punishment. "'Any person or persons who knowingly attacks a Tok'ra will be handed over to the Tok'ra council for punishment.'" Daniel's finger trailed down the treaty. "This the list of what they consider an attack." It was a long list that included everything possible.

"So the council will decide what to do with them."

"Well, that's only if Martouf and Lantash don't." Daniel pointed to that part of the treaty. "There's basically a sort of chain of command on who has the right to decide the punishment. If the first ones don't or can't decide, the decision gets passed down. The order is 'the victim, his or her blending partner or former blending partner, then the victim's mate, then the council."

"Former blending partner?"

"Well, I'd imagine if a host is attacked on Earth, then dies elsewhere, either from the attack or not, the symbiote isn't going to want to lose the right to chose punishment."

Jack sat down, sighing his defeat. "What do you think they're going to do with them?"

"Well, from what I've seen, most punishments dealt by the Tok'ra are death."

Jack frowned slightly. "Why don't you see how the boy is doing?"

Daniel set the treaty down and headed off. It didn't take long to get to the cell. When he did, he saw the boy laughing at something Copy said. They seemed to stop when they saw Daniel. Daniel took a few steps closer. "Hello."

The boy waved. "Hello." He smiled. "I have a name now."

Daniel smiled. "What is it?"

"Lance. I heard it on the way over here. I decided I liked it."

"Hello Lance."

"Are my dads coming?"

"Sam went to see if she could get them."

Lance smiled and hopped a little. "I can't wait to meet them!"

"What do you know about them?"

"Copy said I was made from both of them using magic."

Daniel frowned and looked to Copy, who shrugged. "They didn't understand cloning."

--

Martouf headed to the stargate with Garshaw, Vorran, and Malek. Garshaw was there out of her own interest and to make sure the Tok'ra were delivered the people they were supposed to be getting. Vorran was there as her and Yosuuf's personal guard. Malek was there to confirm what Copy had told them. Actually, anyone could use the device he held in his hand, and Martouf suspected he was there more for moral support for him and Lantash.

They were currently ahead of him. Martouf had slowed to stay with Sam's pace. Teal'c was near her as well, though Martouf didn't know if it was due to having the same troubles with the walking over the rocks or because he didn't want to leave her behind. "The rocks are beautiful when you don't have to walk over them."

Sam smiled. "Yeah. You know where they came from?"

"There are theories, but we do not know for sure. The underground caverns are more interesting." Martouf hopped from a larger rock to a flat rock in front of the dialing device. He dialed to Earth and waited as Sam sent the signal. He hesitated before walking up the steps and, he was nervous as he stepped into the wormhole. They were greeted immediately, and he was quiet the whole time. He was soon heading towards the holding cells. _I wish you were in control._

_I don't deserve to be in control._

_We don't know if he's your clone, and even if he is, you are not responsible for his actions._

Lantash grumbled in return. He was shamed to hear that a clone of his could forcefully take a host. It made his skin crawl. Sitting across Garshaw and Per'sus and seeing their expressions to the news didn't help any. _My body. My instincts. My mind. He even thought he was me at first._

_No. Your body is not his._

_He was made from my body._

_And your memories aren't his either._ Martouf felt Lantash curl slightly. _No one blames you._

_They should._

Martouf felt uncomfortable as they were about to walk into the holding cells. He hadn't actually seen their cells before. He had a good idea of what it looked like, but he could never bring himself to ask to see the place where Jolinar spent her last hours.

As he walked in, he first saw Daniel standing outside of the cell. He noticed guards outside the cell as well. Then he saw a man who looked nervous and a boy who looked very much like himself. Martouf moved up closer and looked to the boy. _He does look like me, but that doesn't mean is he from me._

Lance felt nervous. He looked to Copy, who nodded. He turned back to the one approaching. "Dad?"

Martouf knelt down more to be at the boy's level. "Hello._" Do you think he is innocent in this? _He looked to Malek. "You should scan them."

_We both know that Copy may be telling the truth_, Lantash said.

Malek stepped into the brig after Daniel opened the door. He looked down at Lance. "Hello."

"My name is Lance."

Malek smiled. "Hello Lance." He could feel the presence of a symbiote with the boy. It was different than a blending.

_You've never sensed someone who was part symbiote before_, his host, Amb, thought.

Malek nodded slightly. "I want to take a scan of your DNA."

"My what?"

"He wants to confirm your identity," Copy said. He looked to Malek. "Scan me first."

Malek nodded and tapped a few buttons on the scanner. A Tok'ra healer, Kilso, had already set it for what it should look for. He moved the device over Copy.

"Did it hurt?" Lance asked when Malek was done. He was holding one of Copy's hands with both of his.

Copy smiled. "No, it didn't hurt. It tickles a little."

The scanner beeped as it found a match. Malek looked at the results. There was different things to look at. Symbiotes had three different sections of DNA. "His Base DNA matches Lantash 99.42." Malek looked up, figuring he should explain the different DNAs for the humans. "Base DNA is the same from birth to death, but Kilso said there might be some difference between the original and the clone due to error in the cloning process."

_If he's not my clone, then we are very closely related_, Lantash thought.

Malek continued, "I'm also scanning for what is nicknamed Memory DNA. That's the genetic memory we possess. It functions as are long term memory, and it changes throughout our lives."

"How close is his to Lantash's?" Garshaw asked.

"84.59" Malek frowned slightly. "It should be higher. The cloning process missed a lot of Lantash's memories."

Lantash squirmed with the news. No other symbiote should have that many of his memories.

_I think he's your clone_, Martouf said.

_Than that means Lance is ours._

_That part could be a lie._

_Are you calling my clone a liar?_

"Wouldn't living different lives since the attack account for the difference?" Daniel asked Malek.

"Lantash has been alive for for over a thousand years, and he was also born with many years worth of memories, so the difference between their Memory DNA should be very small." Malek looked back to his scanner. "The last check is for what we call Host DNA." He looked back up. "This is part of us the same way Mitochondrial DNA is part of you. It is DNA from another species, and whatever that DNA is, we have an easier time blending with members from that species. An unblended queen will use her own to give to her offspring, but if she has a host, she'll use the host's DNA. The best way to ensure her mature young can take hosts without dying is to use DNA from more than one human."

Garshaw added information. "Egeria used DNA from her current host and from a man whom she was with before giving birth."

Daniel frowned. He had known that was important, due to disturbing personal experience, but he hadn't known the details. "So she used the men?"

"Her hosts and the participating men knew what their DNA was being used for," Garshaw said. "She didn't just use them for her own sake. She loved each of them. She was also very selective with whom she'd allow to help create her children."

"So you have three parents."

"We don't think of the parents as our parents," Garshaw sated.

"Why not?"

She nodded her head, giving control to Yosuuf. "You believe that Mitochondrial DNA originated from bacteria."

"Yes."

"Do you think of this bacteria as your parent?"

"No."

"Part of you came from it."

"I see your point."

"Copy's host DNA matches Lantash 99.98," Malek announced. "He is Lantash's clone." He saw Martouf flinch slightly to the news. He turned to Copy. "Physically, you are older than you should be, but you are still very young."

"How young?"

"You have the body of a symbiote who is about a hundred years old."

"I feel older."

_No wonder_, Malek thought.

_Born with all those memories would make anyone feel older_, Amb thought.

_I wasn't thinking of that. He may be young, but he's very weak. _The scanner had showed every injury he had. _David did not treat him well_, he thought in anger.

"Will my scanning take so long?" Lance asked.

Malek moved to him. "No." He started scanning when the boy suddenly moved behind Copy. Malek frowned. "It won't hurt."

Lance pointed to Lantash, "Eye glow."

"What?"

"Eye glowing scares him." Copy looked to Lance. "That's just your other dad taking control. Remember, they share one body."

Lantash moved closer, very curious as to why that scared him. Martouf held that fear when they had first met, but human memory wasn't genetic. "Lance, I didn't mean to scare you. My eyeglow just shows that I'm control." He waited for a response, but didn't get any. "Why does it scare you?"

"It means you are angry, and that means punishment."

_Why is he reciting my old beliefs? _Martouf asked.

"I tried to explain the eye glow," Copy said. "He and Marshal didn't seem to believe me. It didn't help that their eyes glowed whenever they got angry."

"My eyes don't glow!" Lance yelled as his eyes glowed.

"I finished your scan," Malek said.

Lance turned to him. "Already?"

"Yes, and I'm comparing it to Martouf and Lantash... You are 72.3 Martouf and 27.1 Lantash."

Lance turned to Lantash and put his arms up. "Dads!"

Martouf took control. _It's true then. He's our clone. _It felt like the news had been all thrown at him at once, and he still couldn't fully believe it. He knelt down to hug 72.3 of himself.

Sam frowned. "You're missing .6."

"I don't know who that belongs to, but it doesn't match Lantash or Martouf. It could simply be a flaw in the cloning process."

Martouf felt the boy hug him tightly, and he was immediately reminded of how he used to hug his own father. It was if the obvious suddenly struck him over the head. He didn't just have a clone, he had a son. It seemed impossible. Tok'ra don't have kids, and he had only been sixteen when he became a Tok'ra, so there was no possibility of having children beforehand. He had thought about the idea for decades, but always gave it up, and now Lance was standing there in front of him. _I have a son._

_We both do_, Lantash thought. _Don't cry._

"Dad, why are you crying" Lance asked as he wiped a tear from Martouf's cheek.

Martouf smiled and hugged him again. "I have a son."

to be continued...


	7. Inside

(Thanks blueflamebluerose.)

Part 7, ...Inside

It didn't take long to arrive at the Tok'ra tunnels. After being ringed down, Lance looked around in aw. "This is where you live, Dads?"

Martouf smile. "Yes. We grow the tunnels whenever we move to a new planet."

"Wow!" Lance looked around. "Can I see your room? Do I get a room?"

"We have to take you to one of our healers first. He needs to run scans on you." Martouf lead the way. Lance circled a few times as he walked, wanting to examine everything. Part of it seemed familiar to him, but he didn't know why. They were followed by SG-1, a Lieutenant Baker, and Malek.

As they got to a new room, Lance looked at the people who followed and realized Copy wasn't with them. "Where's Copy?" He looked to Martouf.

"He had to be taken elsewhere," Martouf explained as he lifted Lance up on to a bed.

Lance kicked his feet a bit, his heals hitting the crystals holding the bed, but he didn't seem to notice. "When will I see him again?"

"We need to run more scans on both of you first. After that...I am not sure." Martouf knew Copy would either be removed or have to remove himself from his current host. However, given the situation, Martouf knew the Tok'ra wouldn't do that without talking to him first.

"He said he has to go away forever soon." Lance frowned. "He's not going to go away before saying bye is he?" His feet stopped moving as he saddened with that idea.

"No, you'll get to see him again."

He smiled, then looked over as someone else came into the room. "Who are you?"

Martouf pointed to the newcomer. "This is Kilso, one of our best healers. He's going to scan your insides." Martouf smiled as he saw Lance frown. "I promise it won't hurt."

--

Copy felt pained as he saw the forcefield of the brig go up. The brig had been grown for him only a few minutes ago. Another had been made for Thomas. _Lance is where he needs to be_, Copy thought.

_And you'll never see him again_, David thought. _They are going to rip you out. I hope it's painful._

Garshaw neared theforce field when it was up. Vorran was there, still ready to guard her, though from what exactly, she didn't know. She didn't think Copy would attack, and there was a forcefield between them anyway. "Until we can fully assess the situation, you will be keeping David Goldsmith as your host. However, he will be in control unless you are requested by a Tok'ra or you are around Lance."

There was actually no way to enforce that last part as long as they remained "blended," but she saw Copy bow his head as soon as the order was given. The expression of guilt disappeared, and the man fell over.

_Oops_, Copy thought.

David hadn't expected to be given control even after the order, so he wasn't prepared when it came. As such, no one using his leg muscles to keep standing. He looked around, and winced, the light suddenly being too bright. He stretched out his fingers, reassuring himself that he was in control. Now that he was back, he felt as if he had been ripped out, and it disgusted him to know that Copy would be taking over again in the future. He stood up. "Why are you allowing him to stay in me?!"

"For now, he's only staying for Lance's sake."

"Lance can deal!"

Her eyes flashed, angry that David didn't care for the welfare of one of his own creations. "Lance is a young boy who must not his only authority figure ripped away from him so quickly. We also may need information Copy has to help Lance gain the health he deserves."

"I have that same information."

"We don't trust you to provide the truth," Garshaw stated.

David made a growling sound as he punched his fist into the air. "Let me talk to Thomas."

"No."

"Why not?!"

"He asked not to be in the same room as you, and we are honoring his request." She didn't like Thomas much more than David, but she felt Thomas might be more helpful if his wishes were respected.

David growled again and muttered, "Coward." He knew Thomas was avoiding him so he wouldn't be yelled at.

Garshaw heard the mutter, not knowing if it was directed at her or Thomas. She didn't really care either way. "Your punishment will be decided by Martouf and Lantash."

"Don't I get a trial?"

"You're guilty."

"You can't sentence me without a trial!" He watched her walk off. "Hey, don't walk away from me! You...!" He struggled to remember her name, but it didn't come soon enough. "Snake!"

_Her name is Garshaw_, Copy thought. He was annoyed to hear Garshaw being insulted, but kept it to himself.

"Garshaw!"

_I do not think she is returning._

_Shut up!_

_Very well. _Copy curled a little more, readjusting himself. He hadn't slept in a while, and he was going to go to do that now.

--

Hours had passed, and Martouf arrived late to a meeting that concerned Lance. Lance was tired, but didn't want Martouf to leave until he fell asleep. Thankfully he fell asleep fairly quickly.

_Welcome to fatherhood_, Lantash thought.

_I'm not the only new father._

_Welcome to me too._

Martouf smiled as he entered the briefing room. Garshaw, Kilso, Vorran, SG-1, Lieutenant Baker, and Copy were there. "Sorry." He sat down, glad they had waited for him. "Lance didn't want me to leave." He saw Copy hold a slight expression of jealously.

_He's raised them like a father_, Lantash thought.

_More like an older brother. He's your son after all._

Lantash cringed. _He's not my son!_

Kilso was looking over information he had gathered. "Two issues to address. First we'll discuss Lance's memories."

"He seems to have mine," Martouf added with a tone of confusion.

"He has many of Lantash's memories."

Lantash took control. "I never feared glowing eyes." His tone showed he was a bit insulted by the implication.

"Memories aren't always intrepided the same way. It may be your memories, and he may be a hybrid, but being humanoid, he can better identify himself as a human...to be more precise, a very young human. As a result, I believe that subconsciously, he's taken your knowledge of Martouf's childhood and made them into his memories. He's lacking a lot of detail, but he's getting what was most important and trying to use them to understand himself and everything around him.

"For instance, your memories basically tell you, 'When Martouf was young he feared glowing eyes. He associated them with angry gods, and that meant punishment' Well, your memories were put into words. However, what Lance is getting from that is more on the lines of, 'Glowing eyes equals angry gods equals punishment,' and from that, he developed his own fear. It might not even be from Martouf. He's not the first host of yours that once had a fear of glowing eyes."

_I'm glad O'Neill isn't here_, Martouf thought almost randomly, not liking the idea of him knowing one of his old fears.

"Hopefully Lance won't access too many of the memories anytime soon," Garshaw added, knowing Lantash had some fairly bad memories. Every Tok'ra did. "What about his health?"

"That is the other issue. He has all the organs of a human, but they are not all healthy. His respiratory and digestive systems are a combination of human and symbiote. The problem is, even though both sets are working, each is weak." He looked to SG-1 and Lieutenant Baker, unsure if Baker knew how those systems worked in a symbiote. He was possible that Samantha and Daniel knew by now. "We get all the oxygen and nutrients we need by absorbing it through our skin. It's a passive procedure on our part unless we chose to either adsorb extra or refuse to take it in."

Lantash smiled slightly. "That's why hosts can get drunk while the symbiote remain sober." He referred to that a time that happened during a festival on the planet Neeria.

Kilso frowned lightly, as that generally wasn't the example he used. "In Lance's case, he's currently getting the air he needs, but he hasn't been getting enough food." He looked over to Copy, seeing the symbiote now looking guilty. "It wasn't your fault. Currently his human respiratory system cannot handle the amount of food he needs. Either he's been thinking he was full when he wasn't been, or he's been getting mixed signals, basically getting that he's hungry and full on the same time."

"That would be confusing," Daniel added, pitying the kid.

"There are other issues, but those are minor compared to those two systems, and neither issue can be healed with a healing device."

"Could he be blended?" Garshaw asked.

Copy heard David scoff to that. _What's wrong with that?_

_That's how you all deal with illness. Stick a symbiote in the person and force them to live your lifestyle._

Copy chose not to reply back as he saw Kilso shaking his head. Kilso glance down at his work. "One thing that didn't suffer from being a hybrid is his immune system." Again, he went into detail for Baker's sake. "With a regular human, the immune systems attacks any symbiote who blends with them, but it's not nearly strong enough to cause any real damage, and it only take a couple seconds for the symbiote to tell the body to stop attacking it. With this, there's no danger from the human immune system unless the symbiote is very weak to begin with. In Lance's case, his immune system may be strong enough to kill whoever blends with him. Even if we can weaken his immune system, and if he does agree to a blending, we have no idea what the result will be in a blending between a symbiote and someone who is part symbiote. The symbiote's own immune system may see his part as an invader."

"Don't you guys have control over your own immune systems," Daniel asked.

"We do, but like with everything else within the body, we have more control over our hosts than we do ourselves. Also, like your own bodies, ours react automatically to what is considered an invasion." He paused, but held a look that said he was going to continue soon. "I believe the best course of action would be to teach Lance how to heal himself."

"He can do that?" Lantash asked.

"He has the physical abilities. He needs to be taught how to use them. I would suggest he strengthen his human digestive system and his symbiote respiratory system."

Lantash nodded, knowing he would be the one doing the teaching. He was more worried now. The job required skill that came from experience that Lance didn't have.

_He'll be all right_, Martouf assured. _You're a great healer, and he is part you._

The meeting didn't last much longer. Martouf stood up, approaching Copy as Vorran did. "Copy," he said as he saw Copy start nodding his head. When Copy looked back up, Martouf saw Copy was still in control. He felt Lantash's discomfort in talking to the clone. "I need to know what you've been teaching him."

Copy smiled, happy that Martouf wasn't looking at him with disgust. He was sure the expression would change if Lantash were in control. "We can discuss the details..." He glanced to Vorran. "..after I return to the brig."

Martouf nodded and followed them.

As Sam got up, she noticed Daniel looking around. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, I'm fine." He straightened out his papers. "I was wondering if Anise was here...in the tunnels. The last I heard, she was still on the surface."

"She's come below," Garshaw answered as she stood. "However, she may avoid you."

Daniel blushed. "You heard what happened?" He hadn't seen Freya or Anise since the whole Neeria incident. While on the planet, they had gotten involved, and there was no issue due to having amnesia. Unfortunately when they got their memories back, Freya and Anise remembered being married.

"The Tok'ra hold no secrets from each other," Garshaw replied. It hadn't occurred to her that Daniel would think she didn't know. She saw his blush grow a bit as he realized that every Tok'ra would knew what happened. "There is no shame in what happened. None of you are to blame. I was happy to hear that with amnesia you were happy in a relationship with a Tok'ra." She hoped to help him, but she saw she somehow made it worse. _Help me._

Yosuuf took over. She wasn't really sure how she was supposed to help, but Garshaw thought Daniel might be less embarrassed with her. "Freya and Anise still care about you, but they do not want to upset their husbands by spending extra time with you."

Daniel nodded. "I understand." He noticed Lieutenant Baker seemed interested in the conversation.

Malek was still sitting, and he looked up from what he was reading. "Be thankful that it was Anise at least."

The quiet Baker frowned to that and finally spoke. "What?"

"The Tok'ra who were captured were removed from their hosts," Malek explained. "We all escaped, but not before we were given a drug that made us lose our memories. When we tried to reblend with our hosts, we...mixed them up."

Yosuuf smiled. "Quite the mix up."

Malek smiled as he stood up. He was still teased about it every once in a while. "Speaking of which..." He gestured out the room and left.

Yosuuf watched him leave before looking towards Daniel. "I can tell her you'd like to speak with her if you wish." As she spoke, she Vorran hurried back into the room and placed himself by her side as her bodyguard. She noticed he looked relieved to be back at her side, though it was hard to see through his usual serious expression.

"You can just tell her I said hi," Daniel requested.

She made a short nod. "I will."

--

_Where is our Samantha? _Lantash thought, his way of requesting to see her.

_Lance_, Martouf replied. He wanted to see Samantha, but he thought Lance was a priority.

_Lance is asleep. Unless you plan on waking him up..._

Martouf sighed, stopped, turned, and ran into Malek. He was used to the constant sense of a symbiote while in the tunnels, so it was easy to miss one that close to you when you weren't paying attention. "Sorry."

"Martouf...how are you?"

"I was on my way to see Lance, but Lantash reminded me that he was still asleep, so we turned to visit Samantha instead."

Malek noticed the question wasn't answered, and he decided not to push for it. "I came to see you."

"You've been spending a lot of time with me since we learned about the clones."

"Well, Aldwin is on a mission," Malek excused.

Martouf smiled and moved to sit down in a chair off to the side of the hallway. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was useful to rest briefly. He looked up as Malek followed him. "It's...I don't know. I never thought this would happen. I never thought I would have any children, and... I haven't even had time to give Marshal a proper funeral."

Malek had made sure Marshal was put in stasis until he could be taken care of. "You need to be there for both of them, and right now Lance is a priority."

"And I haven't done anything about the other two. They don't even have names."

"Well, some version of Martouf and Lantash should make them happy."

"Have to go to Kiron and burn Marshal..."

"I'll help you."

"Have to say the funeral verses alone."

"You don't have to say them alone. I'll say them with you."

Martouf looked to him. "You have them memorized?"

"All thirteen of them. I memorized everything important to you after Neeria... It may not be traditional by any means, but you are one of my former hosts now." Feeling the need to assure Amb, he sent warm vibes through his host.

_That would work better if I were in control._

_I'll send them again the next time you are in control._

Amb gave a mental chuckle. He enjoyed being assured, but he didn't need it. He knew how much he was loved.

"Thank you." Martouf stood. "I'm going to see Samantha." He watched his friend nod before walking away. He found her back in the same room he had left her. She, Daniel, and Teal'c were talking. Baker was just sitting there.

Samantha left the group and approached. "Hey."

"Your father has been contacted. We thought he might be interested." He had been informed soon after his conversation with Copy.

She nodded, hoping he would come before she had to leave. "How are you doing?" His expression soon told her that everyone had been asking him that. "Sorry."

"It is strange."

Sam nodded.

"It must be strange to him as well, having two fathers in one body. I do not think he understand what Lantash is yet."

"He'll learn."

"He needs to learn quickly in order to understand himself. I will have to teach him when he wakes up." He smiled. "I could show him images of what Lantash looks like." He nodded. "We have two dimensional and three dimensional images of every Tok'ra symbiote and host in our records. They are safely guarded, but I believe the council will allow us to download Lantash's images."

Sam frowned. "He can't access his own pictures?"

"Basic information of each Tok'ra is easy to obtain for Tok'ra, but for the details... That information could be very valuable to the Goa'uld. If they knew what homeworlds every host came from, they could attack those planets. A Goa'uld could also learn exactly which Tok'ra has spied on him in the past, which gives him a reason to hate those particular Tok'ra. We prefer to be hated as a group."

Sam smiled a bit. That last sentence sounded a bit odd. It make sense though. "Can I see the images after you've shown them to Copy."

He looked down, and he briefly looked gulty. "I was hoping you can be there when I showed them. I... Lantash and I have been talking..."

_I recall you doing most of the talking while I said no_, Lantash thought, knowing he would be ignored.

"Yes?"

"I know our relationship is not official, but I was hoping you could help me with Copy...a little." He looked nervous. "I know it's asking a lot... I am not even sure what I'm asking. Lance it too young to work as a Tok'ra, and while he has access to memories that will make him feel older, I'm hoping he won't look at them. He's already grown up too fast."

Sam nodded. She knew that children sometimes became Tok'ra, but they were greatly helped by their symbiotes. Lance didn't have a symbiote in his head to help him, and besides, she knew it made a huge difference to Martouf that they were dealing with his son rather than a random child. "Martouf...I don't know."

"I know he's not part of you."

"It's not that," Sam said quickly. She took his hand and decided to clarify further. "I care about him because he's part of you and part of Lantash..."

"I see the way you look at him."

Sam looked down, knowing what Martouf saw. She felt the need to protect Lance ever since she learned who he was. "I can help while I'm here, but...Martouf, we live on two different planets. We hardly see each other as it is." She felt guilty. "I don't think it would be fair to him to make myself important in his life when I can't always be there."

"Your father was away a lot when you were young. You can be like him."

She gave a sad smile. She had never planned on having kids for exactly that reason. "He was away a lot, and I would be away a lot more than he was."

Martouf couldn't imagine raising Lance without her, but Lantash was telling him to accept her answer. He looked down briefly as he nodded.

"I love you."

From her tone, Martouf knew she was worried about their relationship. He smiled and pulled her into a brief hug. He pulled away a little, looking at her as he kept his hands on her back. "I love you too."

There was a lingering thought in the back of her mind. If Rosha and Jolinar were still alive they would have declared themselves the boy's mothers hours ago. Sam knew Martouf would know that, but she hoped he wasn't thinking that right now. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need to apogolize. Lantash says I should have never asked in the first place."

_Hug her again_, Lantash thought.

Martouf hugged her again, this time lingering longer. After a while, Lantash took control and changed the hug. It was subtle. A little tighter, and his hands drifted down to her lower back. He smiled, hearing Sam say his name a couple seconds after the switch. He knew she had done so to let him know she knew it was him now.

--

When Lance woke up, he saw someone familiar looking at him. "Where's my dads?"

"They're coming."

Lance sat up. "You're that guy who scanned me."

"Yes, I'm Malek."

"How do you know my dads?"

"I'm their friend, and your father and I have the same queen."

"So you're from the same country?"

Malek gave a soft chuckle. "No, a queen is what we call those in our species who can reproduce. Basically, we have the same mother."

"You're my uncle!" Lance exclaimed with a large smile.

Malek smiled. "I suppose I am."

"Do I have any other uncles? Do I have aunts?"

"You have hundreds of both."

"Wow!" Lance jumped a bit while sitting in bed. "Will I get to meet them all? What about my grandmother? Or is she my grand-queen? Can I meet her? Do I have a grand-king?"

Malek frowned slightly when thinking of Egberia, but had to smile to the term grand-king. "My queen died, and unfortunately, so have many of my siblings." It was odd thinking them as that. He thought of them as family, but he didn't think of them as siblings in the same way that humans saw their siblings. Otherwise, he certainly won't be dating one of them. "I do not have a father."

Given that he himself had two fathers and no mother, the lack of a father didn't seem strange to Lance. He thought that perhaps Malek had also been made out of magic. "Marshal will get to meet her when we you guys have his funeral."

Malek smiled. "I imagine she'll be surprised to learn that she has a grandchild."

_No kidding_, Amb thought, using a phrase he heard Jacob use several times.

"What was she like?"

"Very brave and honorable." Malek decided to leave out any information about the Goa'uld, which meant he couldn't explain her birthing a resistance. "She was very kind as well. I did not get to know her very well. She disappeared soon after I was born, and when we found her again, she was dying."

"I'm sorry."

"I was lucky to be able to see her a last time. Most of her children did not. I was honored to tell her how we were doing."

Lance looked ready to say something, but he stopped and looked behind Malek instead. "Dad!" Lance smiled as he saw his dad move closer to the bed. "Uncle Malek was telling me about my grand-queen."

"What?"

"Egeria," Malek explained as he stood.

Martouf sat down. He nodded as he closed his eyes. Lantash took over. "We apologize for being late, Lance." He took out a two devices. "I got some images so you could see what I look like." He glanced up and saw Malek edging away. "You don't have to leave."

Malek looked happy as he sat down on the other side of the bed.

Lantash used the first device to show Lance a picture. Lance looked at the picture. "You _do_ look like a snake," he said, thinking of when Copy described what his father looked like. "You're pink."

"I was only a few seconds old. I changed color later." Lantash showed another picture of himself. "There, I'm a few years old. I'm less pink and more gray." As Lance held the device, Lantash activated the second object. "Here I'm an adult. The pink is gone."

Lance set what he held down and picked up the second device. He moved his hands closer before carefully touching the image. He frowned slightly when it went though, and he seemed to study it. The image spun around and Lance was quiet for a moment. Then he pointed to three dots on the image. "You have freckles."

"Yes, I have freckles." It wasn't really freckles in that they were made from the sun like human freckles. He had been born with them. The 2D images didn't show them all though, and they didn't stand out as much.

Lance pulled up the sleeve of his shirt and pointed to a dot on his arm. "I have a freckle."

Lantash was pleased that the boy was trying to find a visible connection between them, though he doubted the freckle came from him.

_You never know_, Martouf though.

Lantash chuckle. "It's a nice freckle."

"Maybe I have more that I don't know about," he began checking his arms.

Lantash put the 2D images away and set the spinning hologram on a table near the bed. "There is something else I need to discuss with you." He considered his words carefully. "Has Kilso talked to you about your health?"

"He says my digestive and respiratory systems aren't as developed as they should be."

The words seemed rather big for the young boy. _He must have my ability to learn quickly._

Martouf took mock offense to that. _Hey!_

Lantash smiled. "He wants me to teach you how to heal yourself."

"I never heard of self healing."

"Most living things have it to a degree, even humans. Your ability is quite limited though, compared to symbiotes. You have inherited my ability to heal, but you need to learn how to use it." He saw Lance looking afraid at that idea, and he put a comforting hand on the boy's arm. "Your dad and I will be here for you."

"What is I make myself worse?"

"I'm not going to let that happen." Lantash saw the boy smile a bit to that. "First, I'm going to teach you something that humans cannot do, to look inside yourself."

"Like a scanner?"

"Yes."

"Will it hurt?"

Lantash smiled again. "No, it won't hurt."

to be continued...

(In case you were wondering, Baker's basically there to explain things that everyone else knows since this chapter mentions a lot of stuff from a previous fan fiction.)


	8. Lungs

(Thanks sammie91293. Sorry this part took so long.)

Part 8, ...Lungs

"I feel it!" Lance hopped up and down as best he could while sitting up in bed. "I feel it!" After an hour of frustrating attempts, he finally felt his heart beating. It was much different than feeling a thud in his chest after a run or when he put his hand over his heart. He felt the movement of the heart itself. He felt the blood that went through, and he could even feel the oxygen going into the blood.

"Now feel your lungs." Lantash held a healing device over Lance as he spoke. He wasn't using it to heal, but to scan and feel the boy's insides. The feel wasn't as strong as with his host, but it helped him to know what was weak and how it was weak.

Lance was quiet for a few minutes, then... "My lungs!"

_More like lung_, Martouf thought sadly. The small lungs were fused together, having never separated during development.

_He has a whole other breathing system to rely on. _Lantash said in a fake arrogant tone. _We don't need lungs._

_You are also a lot smaller than he is. Your surface per mass is much higher than his._

_He's getting enough oxygen now thanks to a combination of his symbiote and human system. His little lung is bringing in air where his skin cannot._ Lantash smiled. "I want you to keep feeling different parts of your system and tell me what it is that you feel."

--

Daniel was walking through the halls when he saw Anise in a room with someone. He slowed down and looked in without moving any closer. She seemed to be studying something, and her husbands, Drack and Kela'an were looking over her shoulder. Daniel mentally flinched when he saw Kela'an look up.

"Daniel."

He was surprised that the tone seemed to hold more surprise than anger. "Hello...Kela'an."

The Tok'ra left the table and moved closer as he gestured Daniel into the room. "I would like to apologize for my behavior the last we met. Drack and I were...we were hurt and angry, though it was not your fault. I hope you can forgive me."

"I-I do." Daniel felt this was rather strange.

Kela'an nodded, seeming satisfied with that replied. "Good. I hope we can become friends then." He moved back to Anise.

Daniel followed slowly and smiled when Anise looked up to give him a hello. He gave her a nod and looked over what she was reading. "The treaty."

"I am sure your people are looking over the details again as well," Anise replied as she looked up again. "Or you did yourself before coming over."

Daniel smiled, not giving a verbal reply, but he thought he might have given it away with that smile. "Find anything interesting?"

"Nothing to allow your people to take back the prisoners, if that is what you mean." Anise looked back to the words. "I did find something, but I do not think it will be an issue." She paused. "Have you heard Lantash's chosen sentence for Thomas?"

"No."

"Thomas will be sent to a prison on another world.. He will spend the rest of his life there." As she spoke, Sam, Teal'c, and Baker came into the room, followed by Garshaw and Vorran.

"I guess you heard," Sam replied, hearing the last part of Anise's words. She gestured to Garshaw. "Lantash just decided it. I came to tell you."

Daniel frowned slightly. "If he just decided it..." He looked to Anise. "How did you know?"

"I visited him about fifteen minutes ago," Kela'an answered. "He told me his choice then. He had not yet spoken to Councilor Garshaw."

Garshaw had followed because she hadn't given all the information and Sam had wanted Daniel around to hear it. "Per'sus and I discussed it. If the counsel agrees, he will be given a choice between two prisons. "One is on Woods. The prison is more humane, but they do occasionally fall to Goa'uld attack."

"Woods..." Sam knew that planet right away. "That's Amb's world."

"Yes, it is one of the few worlds where both Tok'ra and Goa'uld go to for hosts. Their prison system is primitive, but the prisoners are treated very well. The second world is Neeka..." She paused and looked to Sam. "That should sound familiar to you."

Sam felt put on the spot. She knew Amb's world because she learned it when he visited Earth's surface. He even used it as his last name. As far most people he met on the surface were concerned, he was Amb Malek Woods. "Neeka..." Images flashed, and people she saw as family were there. "Rosha... That was her world."

Garshaw looked pleased. "Yes, her world and Yosuuf's world. The world is protected by the Asguard, so it will not be attacked by the Goa'uld, however, the prisons are...less than humane."

Daniel frowned, briefly wondering how the Tok'ra got hosts from the planet if it was protected. Goa'uld protected planets weren't generally Tok'ra friendly. Now he wondered about the choices. "Not much of a choice."

"How inhumane?" Sam asked.

"There is a set of underground tunnels with many cells. A prisoner is kept in a cell. Once a week they are given enough food and water to provide them the next seven days."

Sam frowned. Her own memory helping to provide her with more details on it, like the fact that rodents and insects were all over the place, which did the cleaning more than anything else. She could visualize it because for some insane reason, Rosha and Jolinar visited once. It wasn't much of a choice, and she knew Jack would be angry with this.

"Well, it's better than what they used to have," Garshaw said, as she had a good idea what Sam and Daniel were thinking based on the expressions they held.

Daniel frowned. The scientist in him was curious to what used to be done, but the rest of him didn't want to know. He decided not to ask. The world itself would be interesting, and he wondered if they could get an address. Teal'c probably wouldn't be safe in going though.

"I will discuss it with the counsil before making any other decision."

"Will my father be able to take part in the decision?"

"He and Selmak cannot be pulled away from their current mission. This decision will have to be made without him." She noticed Sam didn't look pleased with that. "Not every decision can be made with every member of the council. Missing a member or two usually has no effect on the final decision. If we believe it will, we hold off the decision until everyone can be involved." She made a short nod before leaving.

"I'm going to go talk to Lantash," Sam said before going to find him. She was sure he was with Lance. It wouldn't take too long to find him. She wanted to know if he was leaning towards any decision with David. She'd only ask if he wasn't too busy with the boy though.

--

"I'm tired!" Lance complained. "I don't want to sense myself anymore."

Lantash shook his head, not wanting to hear that. "You have to learn how to heal yourself, and-"

"I'm tired!"

"Lance." He was irritated, but refused to show that to the boy. "If you won't sense yourself, then you should eat something."

"I'm full."

"No, you're hungry. I scanned you and-"

"I feel full!" Lance's eye glowed.

"Would you like to drink something?" Malek asked. "You must he thirsty. You haven't drank anything since you arrived here." Lance nodded his head, and Malek went to get a drink that was full of calories and nutrition. Hopefully, the boy wouldn't mind it not being water.

"Thank you," Lantash said as Malek handed Lance the drink.

Lance sniffed at it before tasting it. "It's sweet." He smiled. "I..." He shook he head, frowning.

Lantash took out the healing device. "Lance, what's wrong?"

_Give me control_, Martouf thought as he moved the device over the boy.

"Da...d..." Lance gasped for air, trying to stop the burning sensation in his lungs.

Martouf started talking the sheets off Lance. "Lance, you have to concentrate on bringing in oxygen through your skin." He vaguely notice Sam at the door.

Malek pulled off Lance's shirt so he could bring in oxygen easier. He noticed Sam leaving, and very soon, she returned with Kilso. He heard Kilso give someone else an order to get Copy before approaching the bed. "What's wrong?" Kilso asked as he grabbed a healing device.

"His lungs..." Martouf knelt down by Lance. "Lance, you remember when you felt your skin earlier? You felt the air going through. You have to concentrate on that. You have to bring in more air."

Tears fell down his cheeks as Lance tried to listen to his father. His lungs were no longer burning, but he felt pained through his body. It moved to his skin, and the world became fuzzy. The words around him became distorted. "Da..s." He wanted his dads to fix him. He noticed the pain disappearing, and it was the last thing he remembered.

Martouf continued to use the healing device on Lance, and he felt Lance lose conscious. He saw Lance being taken away. "What...?"

Kilso was the one taking him. "I'm helping him." The healer took Lance to another room with a device he had made for Lance. It had been a status bed, but it was changed to a what he had nicknamed an oxygen bed. He set Lance in it and closed it. "The oxygen content is 60 percent," Kilso said, "much higher than it is here."

Martouf put his hand on the glass as he watched his son. "He needs to be awake."

"I'm going to try to wake him up," Kilso said as had Lance injected with a drug. "What happened?"

"His lungs were weak... They just stopped working." He looked to the doorway as he heard people coming.

Copy had been retrieved, and he moved closer to the bed. Like Martouf, he put his hand on the glass. _He has to live._ Everyone else was quiet, and he saw Kilso was working on the machine. He moved around and saw the health of the boy being displayed on the other side of the bed. His memories on how to read it were failing him though.

Malek was holding a look of anger. Copy wanted to help him, but he realized he'd make it worse. The Tok'ra's anger was directed at David. Kilso checked the readings again. "He's not getting better. I'm changing the oxygen content."

"He needs to be awake," Martouf repeated in an urgent tone.

"He's not responding to the drug. If I give him any more-"

"He needs to be awake." Martouf's eyes flared as Lantash took over. "He needs to force his body to bring in more oxygen." The look of sorrow had been replaced with one of anger. The tears suddenly looked out of place with such an expression.

Kilso remained calm, but he wouldn't change his mind. He worked on the machine while glancing to Lantash. "The drug is having no effect in helping him to wake. All it's doing is making it harder for him to bring in air." He saw Lantash look guilty for not knowing this. "Oxygen is at 95."

"That could overwhelm his system," Copy said.

"It's a risk," Kilso agreed.

Lantash went back to to watching Lance. He felt a pain himself, like someone had put an ice cube in Martouf's heart. _I failed him. I didn't teach him well enough. I should have taught him faster. I shouldn't have let him rest._

_He could live_, Martouf thought, refusing to give up on their son. He felt himself given control, and he stared as if that could help. Everyone else seemed to disappear. It was just him, Lantash, and Lance. Lance would get what he needed. He would wake up, and everything would be fine.

"Martouf."

He and Lantash would teach him all he needed. He would grow up and become part of the Tok'ra. His symbiote part would give him a longer lifespan than that of a normal human.

"Martouf." There was a vague feeling of something on his shoulder.

_Malek is calling you_, Lantash thought.

Suddenly it wasn't just the three of them anymore. Martouf frowned. "Malek, I waiting for him to wake up."

There was quietness in return. Only for a moment, but it felt longer. It was proof that Martouf was right. Malek wouldn't bother him again. However, the moment wasn't meant to last, and Malek spoke again. "Martouf, he's gone."

The words sunk in slowly, and Martouf felt like the ground had turned to putty. The ice cube Lantash felt earlier was rapidly growing, and Martouf attempted to retreat from the pain by giving up control. Lantash moved to the display and read it for himself.

Heart rate...nothing.

Brain activity...nothing.

Oxygen being taken in...none.

"I failed him."

Kilso ran more scans to be sure before opening the oxygen bed. He left the room and others followed. Lantash wasn't entirely sure who left and who stayed.

_Pick him up_, Martouf thought. _I want to hold our son._

Lantash gently lifted Lance out of the bed. He went to a near chair and sat down. _Do you want control?_

_Not yet._

Lantash watched the boy for a while before hearing Martouf say the boy needed his shirt back.

_He looks cold_, Martouf thought.

Lantash looked around to see Malek was the only one left. "Do you have his shirt?"

Malek nodded and left. He returned a few minutes later and put helped Lantash put it on. "It wasn't your fault, Lantash."

Lantash was quiet for a moment. "I thought Copy would have strayed."

"Vorran made him leave."

Lantash frowned. He hadn't noticed Vorran in the room. "I never thought I'd have a child. Not meant to. Not designed to. Then someone stole my DNA and made me a son who was sick. How could anyone...?" He closed his eyes. "Not even the Goa'uld have ever hurt me as much as this."

"David deserves to die for what he's done," Malek replied.

"How can I have him killed when he was violated because of me."

"Parents cannot always be blamed for the actions of their children."

Lantash looked to Malek angrily, and his eyes flashed. "Copy is not my son! He will _never_ be my son!"

_Don't yell at him!_ Martouf snapped. _You want David dead as much as he does. You just don't want to admit it!_

Lantash ignored the angry workds and looked to Lance. He felt guilty for yelling over hiis son's body. Several minutes passed before he heard Martouf ask for control. He released control. Martouf stared for even longer.

--

Copy was in the brig, and his host was demanding him out. He had asked for Garshaw, and David was in control while they waited. He took control when she approached.

_She didn't ask for you! You aren't supposed to take control unless you are asked for._

"Hello Garshaw," Copy greeted.

"Copy."

"You know why you were here."

She nodded. "Without Lance, there is no need for you to keep David as a host."

"He is demanding I leave." Truth was, Copy didn't want to keep living anymore. His purpose in life had died.

"I will inform Martouf and Lantash." She left, feeling nothing else was to be said.

As Copy waited, he saw Malek come in. He smiled. "Hello Malek."

Malek made a short nod.

"I remember the time on Neeria..." He saw Malek frown slightly. "I know it's not my memories...but..."

Malek seemed interested. "What do you remember?"

"Dancing with you." Copy smiled. "When you made us...them...when you made them dinner."

"That was mostly Martouf."

"And when you burned the breakfast."

Malek glanced down as he chuckled. "I remember."

Copy sat down. "Do you know how I will be put into into the Tok'ra database?"

"No."

Copy nodded. He wished he would be listed as a Tok'ra, but he doubted that would happen. He could only hope to be listed as a symbiote and not a Goa'uld. Being Lantash's clone worked for him with that hope. Hopefully they wouldn't be able to list a clone of their own as a Goa'uld.

Martouf walked into the room. He was clearly upset and keeping it in. Copy was a bit surprised that Lantash wasn't in control. Gawshaw followed him, and she waited to see of Martouf wanted to say anything before speaking. "It is time."

Copy nodded. "I am ready."

to be continued...


	9. Chain of Command

(Blueflamebluerose and Kirallie, thank you for your reviews for part eight and the other reviews through the story. I enjoy hearing what people have to say. As for Lance, I thought of keeping him alive, but the truth is, his death was planned from the start.)

Part 9, ...Chain of Command

Copy looked to Martouf, wanting him to leave for this. "Martouf, you don't have to be here."

"I want to be here." Martouf moved closer before looking to Garshaw. "The forcefield doesn't have to be up, does it?" He held an almost pleading expression.

"No." She gestured towards one of the guards to take it down. As he did, the other one moved closer to her.

"I'll remove myself so David won't have any of Lantash's memories," Copy said as he knelt down. He looked to Martouf. "Goodbye." He didn't get a response, but it didn't matter. He was just happy that Martouf didn't hate him. He leaned David over before releasing control and moving away. He carefully burrowed through, trying not to cause David any extra harm.

The ground was cold and hard, and he instinctively curled. He squealed slightly in discomfort, and he heard David moving away from him quickly. He planned on killing himself by releasing poison into himself, and he was about to when he felt warm gentle hands picking him up. He looked up, saw Martouf, and squealed his confusion.

"I didn't want you to feel alone."

Copy squealed his affection and curled into the warm hands. He felt himself being brought up to Martouf's chest. Surely the guards were quietly having a fit about that, but it didn't matter. Martouf trusted him enough to do that, and Lantash trusted him enough to allow it. That made Copy happy. He was in Martouf's hands, and that made him feel almost whole. "I love you," he squealed before releasing the poison.

Martouf closed his eyes, feeling Copy growing weak. "Son." Lantash may have refused to acknowledge the truth, but Martouf did not. "My son."

"Parent," Copy squealed weakly, but happily. He was part of the family. He had been accepted. He was loved, and as he laid there, he was happy.

Martouf felt Copy grow limp, and he started crying again. He had been able to hold it back for Copy's sake. He continued holding the symbiote. He felt Malek kneel by him and move his hand over his. _Why couldn't he wait longer? Why couldn't he be put in a tank?_

_I don't think he wanted to wait longer_, Lantash thought. _He was living without a true host, and that is no way to live._

_But..._ Martouf sniffled. _He was my son too._ He stood up and felt Malek stay near. _I should have told him sooner._

_You got to tell him, and he responded, so we know he heard you._

Martouf nodded, which made another teardrop fall.

_Do you want me to take control?_

_Yes, but be respectful to Copy's body._

_I would never do anything to his body_, Lantash thought as he took control. He looked back to David. He hated him more now, but he still couldn't bring himself to have the man executed. The words came so close, but then it filled him with guilt. "I cannot decide David's punishment."

Malek looked rather displeased with that news. Garshaw didn't have any reaction. "You have time to decide."

"I will never be able to decide."

"Does Martouf agree with you?''

_I won't go against you_, Martouf thought. He knew Lantash would feel just as guilty if it came from him.

"Yes," Lantash replied before starting to leave.

"No!" Malek exclaimed, which brought everyone's attention on him. "He deserves to die."

Lantash stopped briefly and looked to Malek. He saw the pain in his friend. "I'm sorry, Malek." He walked away. He went back into the room where he had left Lance, but the boy was gone.

Kilso found them. "I put him in status."

Lantash figured he was with Marshal and found him there. The two stasis chambers were side by side. He opened up Lance's and put Copy into it.

_They'd both like that_, Martouf thought.

Lantash closed it again. _When do you want to prepare for the funeral._ He felt Martouf cringe. _Why don't we see Samantha for now._

_I'd like that._

--

David paced back and forth, hating it here. He hated the tunnels. He hated the Tok'ra. He hated the whole thing. He wanted to be back on Earth, and he hoped the council decided to send him there. He went to the guard. "You kept me a prisoner here long enough."

"Your punishment hasn't been decided."

"Allow me something! I hate these tunnels! I hate the color blue!" He didn't used to, but he did now.

The guard looked at him for a moment. "I'll talk to Garshaw and see if will allow you to visit the surface." The guard didn't care much for David either way, but he thought the offer might quiet him at least.

"Thank you," David replied as the guard left. He sat down and waited for his return. It took less time than he thought it would, and he stood up when he saw the Tok'ra returning.

"You may visit under supervision."

David nodded briefly, figuring that would be the case if he was allowed up. He saw the one named Vorran coming. "I'm guessing you are my guard."

"Yes." Vorran took the forcefield down. "There isn't much up on the surface." He gestured for David to go forwards. He shook his head slightly as he followed. He knew Garshaw only allowed it because she felt guilty about Copy.

--

Daniel was now looking at ancient texts with Anise. She had stopped looking at the treaty a while ago and offered a new project. He picked up a new piece of paper that was much newer than the others. "Where did you get this?"

"From the surface. Well, the tunnels inside. What you see is a map." Anise smiled. "Malek helped me draw them out."

"I thought you two didn't get along."

She nodded slightly. "We've argued since birth. We're from the same batch. I'm three minutes older than him." She looked proud of that. "Freya and Amb have helped us get along more." She gestured back to the map. "The tunnels all seem to be dead ends, but they are actually all connected. I think it was a way to hide from Jaffa who came to attack. They go into a tunnel and are followed. From the Jaffa's point of view, he hits a dead end and there isn't any people. We think that's why the Goa'uld killed them though. They grew tired of losing track of them."

Daniel frowned slightly at that, but smiled as he looked at the maps. "Very detailed."

"That's only part of it. I hope I can get more." She looked behind when someone came in. "Teal'c."

Teal'c gave a nod and looked to Daniel. "The council will be deciding David's punishment."

Daniel frowned. "Lantash and Martouf gave the decision to them?"

"They could not decide, so the decision went to them automatically."

Daniel frowned. "Does Sam know?" He then noticed Anise suddenly gathering some things. "Anise?"

"I have to go. You can keep looking at the maps if you want."

"Is there something wrong?" He thought the sudden need to leave was odd.

"Sorry, Daniel." Anise left.

--

David found he wasn't too happy with the surface. There was more rocks than he remembered, and Copy had made walking over them seem so easy. He liked it better in one of the tunnels. He had gone deeper than he planned to, out of curiosity. It wasn't as dark as he had expected. He wasn't sure where the lights came from, but they were certainly from inside and not from the surface. Still, it wasn't has bright as he would have liked. There were dark shadows along the wall, which had been decorated with delicate detail. The tunnel grew smaller until it was just over his head, and he bumped it once on a overhead design. He shook his head. Vorran hadn't followed so far in, and now David wished he had.

He traced his fingers along the designs and continued walking until he reach the end. He smiled as he looked at the pictures on the wall. People and animals had been sculpted into it. He traced his fingers along the outside of an animal he had never seen. Was it made up, or was it native to this planet? It looked like a large feathered dog. Part of it had been painted, and he could see that it had faded.

"Beautiful." He stared for a while before deciding to head back up to the surface. Perhaps he could explore another tunnel. It helped keep his mind off the fact that his punishment was being decided now. He hated not being there for it. He hated the lack of a trial. He deserved to be sent home. He knew he'd go to prison there, but that was better than prison on another planet.

His steps paused as he thought he heard movement behind him. Like stone moving across stone. He looked behind him. "Hello?" He felt he was going insane for hearing things. He felt the need to go back and check to be sure. He turned back and started walking...very slowly.

He looked into the shadows and saw nothing as he continued. He reached the dead end again. Nothing had changed. "I'm going insane," he muttered to himself before turning. He jumped when he bumped into someone and fell back. "Damn!" He started getting up. "Vorran, are you trying to..." He stopped, standing now, and seeing who it was. "Malek?"

"Hello David."

David took a step back, remembering the last words Malek said. "I'm surprised Vorran allowed you in."

"He didn't," Malek replied as he stepped forward. He gestured to part of the wall. "I know the tunnels better than he does. I saw him standing guard. I knew he'd never let me in, so I found another way."

David's heart was getting faster, and the room suddenly seemed very hot. Sweat began dripping. "Vorran!"

"He can't hear you," Malek replied. "We are too far down for him to hear you. These tunnels are designed to ensure noise goes into the walls instead of to the surface."

David took another step back. "Th-the council is deciding my fate."

"I admit that."

Another step back, and David hit the wall. Every memory of Malek told him that he wouldn't go against the council. The symbiote was too loyal. He had never gone aganist them before, and he wasn't going to start now. "You won't..." He saw Malek pull out a knife. "Y-you can't." He really didn't see any movement. Instead there was suddenly a sharp pain in his lungs.

"Lance suffocated, so I thought you should too." Malek pulled the knife from David. "Lantash couldn't decide, but we all know you deserve to die." He wiped the blood away and put the knife back. He saw the man start coughing up blood.

_To think, we could have joined the council_, Amb thought with some regret to that. For the first time in either of their lives, Malek was up for consideration, and now he had given that up by killing David.

_Martouf and Lantash have been avenged. That's more important. _He checked on David when the man stopped moving. _I'm sorry, Amb._

_Don't worry about me._

_I couldn't let him get away with it. _Malek could still see the pain Martouf felt when losing Lance and then Copy. More than anything, Malek had wanted to talke that pain away. He had felt so helpless. This was all he could do. He knew it was what Martouf wanted. Lantash had allowed guilt to deny Martouf this, but he wouldn't.

_Is he dead?_

_He's dead._ Malek made a deep cut in David's throat to ensure he couldn't be healed back. He started walking back up the tunnel. He walked slowly, and soon he felt Vorran's presence.

"Malek?" Vorran had come to check on David.

"Hello Vorran."

"How did you get in here?"

"Through one of the walls."

Vorran frowned and started to move around Malek.

Malek felt Amb's heart speedup, and he slowed it down. "He's dead."

Vorran turned around. "What?"

"David is dead."

Vorran looked worried, and he hurried down. Several minutes later he was back. "Malek!" His eyes glowed.

"I told you he was dead."

"It was up to the council to decide his punishment, not you!"

"He hurt Martouf and Lantash."

"I know that!"

"I punished him."

"It wasn't your choice!" Vorran shook his head as his eyes glowed again. "Now we have to hand you over to Earth!"

"I know."

Vorran's eyes flared again as he grabbed Malek's arm and walked up the tunnels. Malek followed quietly, wishing Vorran would loosen his grip a little. _Maybe I can get you out of the punishment. You didn't kill him after all._

_No!_ Amb thought, knowing that separate punishments could only be done if they were separated. _I gave you permission._

_What if I am sent to prison for the next hundred years?_

_Then I"ll spend the rest of my life in prison. The worse prison with you is better than a luxury life without you._ He paused briefly. _Aldwin's going to be pissed at us._

_Yes, he will be._

Vorran took Malek where the council was, and he was surprised that they weren't alone. Martouf, Anise, and SG-1 were there. "What's going on?"

"Anise was going to tell us something," Garshaw replied as she looked curiously at Vorran and Malek. "Why are you gripping Malek like that? You are supposed to be guarding David."

Vorran let go of Malek, not realizing he had still be keeping a firm grip. "David's dead."

Garshaw and most of the other members of the council looked surprised, as did SG-1. Martouf looked rather pleased with the news, and Anise didn't seem like she cared either way. All eyes were quickly on Malek. Garshaw stepped closer. "Malek."

"I saw Vorran guarding one of the tunnels and knew David was inside. I used another tunnel to get in and stabbed him in the lungs." Malek took out his knife and laid it on the table the council was at. He saw her disappointment.

Per'sus picked up the knife. "It was not your decision."

Anise stepped closer to Per'sus. "Excuse me, Councilor, but...you're wrong."

Per'sus looked to her. "What?"

"What?" Daniel said. His memory started going over the treaty, but she started quoting.

"Section 12, from paragraphs three and five. 'Any person or persons who knowingly attacks a Tok'ra will be handed over to the Tok'ra council for punishment. The punishment will be decided by the victim, his or her blending partner or former blending partner. If they do not decide, then the decision of the punishment will follow through the following order, the victim's mate, then the council.' See there's a list between Martouf and you."

"Lantash and Martouf gave up the decision, and their mates are dead, so the the decision goes to the council."

"Yes, theygave it up. They _each _gave it up. They didn't get one vote. They each had a say, right?"

"Of course."

"So would not a former blending partner have a vote?"

Per'sus frowned. "There may have been a mix up on Neeria-"

"That doesn't make it not true." Anise saw the expression he held at being interrupted, but she didn't particularity care that moment. He should be used to her ways by now. "Malek and Martouf were blended for four months. You see how much they care about each other now because of it. They were friends before, yes, but they are so much closer now. The Tok'ra records list them as having been blended. They are, but all definitions, former blending partners. Malek has every right to decide punishment for someone who attacks Martouf."

Per'sus seemed to sigh, and Garshaw spoke up. "You're right." She still looked disappointed. "Though Malek should have spoken to us first..." She trailed off briefly. "Though we were just as wrong in taking the decision away from him." Her expression was mixed now.

Sam frowned, wondering how Jack would take this when he read the report. She knew he wouldn't agree with it. She looked to Daniel and saw he was thinking about the same thing.

"I believe there is nothing else to discuss," Garshaw continued. "Thomas has a choice to make."

"I'll go with you when you tell him," Sam said as she followed her out.

The roomed emptied until Malek and Martouf were left, still the ones in control. Martouf approached. "You avenged me."

"Of course. I told you, you are my former host."

"Yes, but you didn't know the council would see it that way."

Malek seemed surprised that Martouf was surprsied. "My hosts are everything to me. Without them I am nothing." He smiled as Martouf hugged him, and he hugged back. "I had hoped you would be able to visit me in prison if I was sent to Earth."

Martouf gave a slight chuckle as he pulled away. "I would have."

"You are certain."

"My symbiotes are everything to me."

_You just wanted to hear him say that_, Amb excused with a chuckle.

Malek smiled as he pulled away, but his expression turned serious. "I'll help you prepare for the funeral."

Martouf nodded. "Thank you."

--

Sam had spoken to Thomas, who had chosen to go to Woods, and then spoke to Jack through radio to give him an update. As she suspected, he wasn't happy with the report, however, she, Daniel, and Teal'c had been given permission to attend the funeral. Baker had returned home. Afte that, Sam returned back to the Tok'ra tunnels. She found Martouf wrapping Lance. Malek was wrapping Marshal. "Do either of you want help?"

"Can you hold Copy in place so he doesn't fall?" Martouf asked.

As she moved closer, Sam saw that Lance's hand was over his heart, and in his hand was the wrapped form of a symbiote. She carefully held Copy and Lance's hand in place while Martouf continued wrapping. It was a bit mummy style, but the wraps were much bigger.

"Marshal is covered and sprinked," Malek announced as he finished. "He must be happy his soul is going to be released soon. Daniel would you mind getting the other side?" He gestured to the other side of the stretcher that Marshal was on. Each boy was on a stretcher on a bed.

Daniel went to the other side and waited while Martouf sprinkled oil over Lance's form. Soon the boys were taken down the tunnels and followed by many Tok'ra. They had been quiet about it, but they had seen Lance as almost a hope for the Tok'ra, and that hoped died with him. They were also there out of respect. When they arrived at the gate, Teal'c dialed out to Martouf's home planet, Kiron.

Once there, the group went to the cliff where the resting stones were, and the boys were set on the stones. Martouf was a bit surprised to see how many had followed, including many members of the council.

_Don't think of them_, Lantash thought as he felt Martouf get nervous.

Martouf knelt by the stretchers, then he looked around worried as he looked for candle. "Malek, did we forget the candles?"

"They are right here," Malek said as he set the candles between the stretchers.

Martouf pointed the candled to Sam to explain. "These candles were specially made. One for each person. As I light each of them, I call the spirit I wish to come. I believe Marshal and Lance should have their grandparents and uncles near when they are released, so they aren't scared."

He saw Daniel paying attention, and he knew the scientist in him was memorizing it all. He also noticed some of the near Tok'ra listening in so they knew what was going on.

Malek dusted off a leave that fell on Marshal on the way in. He didn't hold the same beliefs as Martouf, but he went along with is for his sake. "I wonder if they-" He made a slight gesture to the crowd. "-know you'll be calling Egeria."

"Only if she wants to come," Martouf replied. "The candle only gives her the invite. She only comes if she wants to."

"I'm sure she'd want to be there for her grandsons."

_Maybe she's already here_, Amb thought. He believed she was somewhere in a nice afterlife, but he didn't think a candle was needed to get her attention. _What happens if something goes wrong and the candle blows out._

_According to Martouf, that means the spirit either left or never showed up._

_Wouldn't that upset him?_

_I'm guessing that's why they have these funerals in a place where there is very little wind._

Martouf knelt by the candles. "Marshal...Lance...before I release you, I am calling on members of our family...including Lantash...to come so they may help you into the next life." He started lighting the candles as he spoke. "I request my mother, your grandmother...my father, your grandfather...my brother, Marrow, your uncle.. my brother Yirp, your uncle...and Lantash's queen, your...uh...grand-queen."

Malek chuckled to that. He looked up to the crowd. A few smiled to phrase. Many had heard of the conversation about Egeria, and those who hadn't could quickly figure it out.

Martouf frowned when Egeria's candle didn't light right away. He tried again as he frowned more.

Malek knelt down and took the lighter. "Maybe she's just farther away than the others," he excused, figuring it was lightly due to nerves. Martouf's hand had been shaking while lighting the candles. He looked up slightly as Martouf had done and spoke loudly. "Egeria." He lit the candle. "See? She came."

"Thank you."

"Relax."

Martouf stood up as he nodded to himself. "Relax." He started circling around the bodies and speaking in his native language. He heard Malek follow and speaking the same words. He timed each verse with circling the bodies and stopped when he was done after the thirteenth verse. "They're ready." He picked up a torch that Malek had prepared nearby and set his sons on fire. "Goodbye."

"Their family is helping them now." Malek said.

Martouf nodded and walked away. They had to be gone before the fire went out. He stopped outside of the cliffs. He felt and hear regrets from Tok'ra who knew he wasn't in the mood to talk. Hands passed by his shoulder or back. Apologies were given. Kind words were said.

Sam stayed with him, but said nothing. She thought back when he had requested her to be their mother. She wished she had said yes now. This time everyone left but her. Malek was the last to stay with them, but he then followed the others. Daniel and Teal'c were close enough to see her, but too far to hear anything said. She knew Teal'c wouldn't let her out of her site. The planet wasn't the safest one to be on.

Martouf looked to Samantha and played with her hair. "Thank for you for being here for this."

Sam nodded, feeling as if she hadn't really done anything.

"For a whole day, I was a father." He gave a sad smile. "Lantash says I still am."

"He's right."

He seemed to like hearing that. "How long can you stay?"

"A few more hours."

"I need them." He pulled her into a hug before heading to the gate. He made a brief grin. "Lantash is hugging me."

Sam smiled, knowing that symbiotes had different ways of "hugging" their hosts. "He's around your spine, Martouf. He's always hugging you."

Martouf smiled, and he heard Lantash agree with the statement. He reached the gate where Malek was waiting. Teal'c and Daniel had caught up. He dialed slowly before looking back at his world. _Lantash?_

_I love you too, Martouf._

_I didn't say anything._

_I knew what you were thinking._

Martouf smiled as he started heading up the steps.

_And Martouf?_

_Yes?_

_I'll always be here for you._

He smiled again. Martouf knew it. He never doubted it, but he still enjoyed hearing it. However many people he would lose in his life, he'd always have Lantash.

-The End-

(I hope you enjoyed the story, and I apologize for my updates taking longer than they were supposed to. Was a bit nervous since some of the character's action are bit extreme. I also hope the story was understandable to those who didn't read "New Life." The friendship between Daniel and Anise sort of got short changed, given that it's mentioned at the beginning. I had planned on writing a bit more about them, but I couldn't find a good way to put it into the story. Also, I have no idea what people think about Drack and Kela'an. I've used them over a few fan fictions now. Anyway, this is starting to become a ramble.

I'll write more, though not exactly sure what the next story will be about. It'll take place in the same "universe" as this one did with other stories. I have an idea that's odd and complicated, but I have no idea if anyone would be interested. Should I keep it simple or add another twist to their lives?)


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